We Start Rememberin' When
by RND4EVA
Summary: Edward and Bella have been married for 23 years but have run into a rough patch. Can memories of their whirlwind romance from their senior year of high school bring them back together? An entry for Like Totally 80's contest,co written with karencullen2007
1. Chapter 1

**We Start Rememberin' When is a story that was originally written for the Like Totally 80's Contest here on FFN. ****Although it didn't win the contest, my co-writer, karencullenn2007 and I decided it was a great story and deserved to be published. Be warned: 80's lingo abounds in this story..._like totally_**_**!**_

**This version will be different than the submission for the contest in several ways: This is a continuation of the story, so there is going to be a lot of NEW MATERIAL that couldn't be allowed in the original version due to word restrictions for the contest; Some of the old POV's have been changed, again, due to the word restrictions for the contest; This version of the story will have chapters and be published in stages, like most other stories, so it is not a "One Shot" like the contest entries all were. **

**By the way: The inspiration came from the song Make Me Lose Control by Eric Carmen. It's a great song, so you should really go and listen to it ASAP.**

**If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. **

**Enjoy and love you all! **

**~Dee**

_Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight, not us, and Bless her for writing such an awesome story that inspires so many of us to write fics._

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><p><strong><em>We Start Rememberin' When<em>**

**_by RND4EVA and KarenCullenn2007_**

_Present Day…Suburbs of Seattle Washington_

_Edward's POV_

The bedroom door slammed in my face as I stood there alone. There was a huge lump in my throat as I tried to speak. _"Bella, please!"_ I begged. "You can't do this to us. I need you." I heard her growl from the other side of the door and then some more slamming. I knocked and then tried the knob but she had it locked. I ran both of my hands into my hair and tugged helplessly. _What would I do if she left me?_ I couldn't imagine my life without her.

Then the door opened again and she came storming out with an overnight bag in her hands. I was hopeful, maybe this meant she was only going to cool off at Alice's house for the night. _Wishful thinking, Cullen! _She glared at me viciously and stomped into the bathroom, heaving everything from the counter beside the sink into the bag. "Bella, I love you…" I began.

"Don't give me that crap! I'm not buying it anymore. There aren't enough hours left in my life to make me want to spend one more second waiting for you. I'm done, Edward." She walked past me in the hall once more and spun around to face me, "I should have left years ago but I was naïve enough to believe you would change."

I reached out and took her hand softly in mine. "I promise I'll change. I'll do better for you. _For us._ You're all I want. Please…don't!" Tears pricked my eyes and for a split second I saw remorse in her chocolate brown eyes, staring back at me.

But that second was fleeting and her intensity returned. She shook her head, "No, Edward, I'm not staying this time. I won't come back and you can live your self-centered life as if I never existed. Hell, you've been doing that anyway! So not much is really going to change for you." She snatched up a suitcase from the bedroom along with her overnight bag and banged down the stairs.

I felt the tears roll down my cheeks and wanted to turn away so she couldn't see but instead I stayed facing her, not caring that she was watching me cry. "Where are you going? It's dark and I don't want you to be out in the city all alone."

"I can take care of myself, Edward. I've been doing it for a long time now. I'm a big girl." She picked up her purse and car keys and closed the door behind her.

I stood there, devastated. I had failed miserably. We had had arguments many times before, and I had always been able to convince her to stay. But this time there was finality in her voice that had never been there before. She had walked out the door and I was powerless to stop her. I walked to the window and watched her back her car out of the driveway as the tears blurred my vision. She was everything I had always wanted and now she was gone. I collapsed on the couch, my head in my hands, tears pouring down my face and sobs wracking my body.

I hadn't ever lived alone in my life. I had gone right from my parent's home to college and into my first apartment with Bella. She had been all I'd ever dreamed of. From the time I first met her when I was 17 years old, I knew instantly she was the girl I knew I wanted a future with. _Of course she hadn't been mine at first_…That took some effort on my part.

But now, after all this time I sat there crying on my couch, feeling sorry for myself and starting dreaming back to the first time I ever laid eyes on the unforgettable Bella Swan…

...

_August 1987…Forks, WA_

_I climbed out of my Dad's car in the school parking lot. I gazed around at the other cars parked there. Huh, not another Mercedes anywhere in sight. I smirked to myself. I was doubtful that anyone in this backwoods town had ever seen a Mercedes before. I slid my letterman jacket over my shoulders. At least these small town hicks would know I was Varsity material back home. I walked out onto the football field and noticed several players standing around in groups talking. There were a few men sitting close to each other on the bleachers and I approached them, since I didn't know anyone there. _

_One of them stood and looked at me as I climbed the stairs. "Hello, Sir. I'm here for football try-outs. I was told they started today?" I inquired. _

_He looked down at his clipboard and answered. "You must be Dr. Cullen's boy. Edwin is it?" _

"_Edward," I corrected, reaching to shake the man's hand who smiled widely at me. _

_He shook my hand firmly. "Pleased to meet you, Edward. I'm the head coach, Charlie Swan and these are my assistant coaches," He introduced me to his coaching staff and then took out a megaphone and announced to the boys on the field that try-outs would begin. After explaining how uniforms and equipment would work he had us all line up, state our name and what position we were going out for and then split up into groups by position and speak in more detail with the various coaches._

_I discovered that there was one other guy trying out for quarterback, like I was. He was blonde with feathered hair and didn't look like any quarterback I'd ever seen. He had blue eyes and wore a polo shirt with his collar up. Dweeb! _

"_Hi," He greeted me with a smile I immediately categorized as fake. "I'm Mike Newton." He shook my hand and tried to grip firmly. Unfortunately for him, my grip was firmer. He immediately got an intimidated look on his face. "So, you're going out for quarterback?" He asked and I nodded. Then he leaned into me and quietly added, "Just an FYI, I've been this team's quarterback since we were in junior high. So don't get your hopes up." His friends around us all laughed like a bunch of hyenas. _

_I just shrugged my shoulders. "I was on the varsity team back in Seattle…I'm not worried."_

_His face turned red and he added, "Also, I'm in tight with Coach Swan." He bragged. _

_I glared back at him and wanted to blacken his baby blue eyes. "We'll see," I retorted and turned to walk away. _

"_Hey, Cullen," he shouted at me. "Don't mess with me. I own this school. So just remember that…"_

_I didn't turn back around but flipped him the bird behind my back. I immediately heard the group start running toward me and I had a feeling I was about to be pounded until suddenly I heard them stop. _

_I turned to look behind me and these guys were all standing there with shit-eating grins on their faces. I looked back toward the gate and noticed a group of girls in cheerleading uniforms coming onto the field. They all had pom-poms in their hands and one of them was carrying a boom-box. I glanced casually at the girls and noticed they all came to an abrupt halt, all staring directly at me. Most of the group looked like your typical cheerleader types, blonde hair, lots of makeup, permed and teased hair. I smiled my typical sideways grin at the gaggle of girls and kept walking toward them._

_The girl carrying the boom-box stared at me and her mouth actually fell open. Suddenly she realized I saw her gaping at me, and she immediately looked away. She attempted to resume walking but ran straight into the back of one of the other girls, causing the other girl to stumble. Boom-box-girl also lost her balance, and fell back onto her rear, sending the box flying into the air. It crashed to the ground, batteries scattering everywhere. I noticed immediately that she didn't look like the others in the group. Her hair was soft brown with an auburn hue; she had deep brown eyes and none of that slutty makeup the others wore. Something magnetic pulled me toward her and I figured it was the fact that this poor girl was so dazzled by my looks that she fell on her butt in the middle of a group of her friends._

_I started over to help her up when I heard Newton's voice behind me. "BELLA!" He shouted, running toward her. I watched as he held his hand out to help her to her feet. _

_So...boom-box-girl's name was Bella. Since my help was clearly not needed, and this group of guys still standing behind me wanted to kick my ass just moments ago, I decided it would be best for me to leave. _

_I took one more glance across the field and saw that Bella was standing up. Newton's hand was intertwined with hers and she was nodding to him, apparently he was checking to see if she was okay. Just as I reached the parking lot I observed Newton's hand leave Bella's hand. He reached behind her and lifted her skirt, running his hand across her backside, giving the impression that he was brushing dirt from her._

_Yeah right! _

_That clearly was a caress, not a helpful gesture. So, Bella-boom-box-girl was Newton's girlfriend? It seemed strange to me … if Newton was her boy-toy, why was she gawking at me?_

_..._

_Present Day…Suburbs of Seattle Washington_

_Bella's POV_

I choked on my tears as I pulled out of the driveway. I couldn't look at his distraught face as he watched me out the window. If I even so much as glanced that way, I knew I'd go running right back in and back into his arms…then we'd be right back where we were now, _stuck in a rut!_ I was so tired of spending so much of my life alone and Edward was working all the time. We never spent any time as a couple and it was wearing on me. I knew this was for the best even though it hurt terribly right now. We had been growing apart for years now, and this split was inevitable. I'd tried to do this many times before and had come running right back to him…_because I loved him_. And I still did love him, more than life itself. But I couldn't live like this anymore.

I pulled over to the curb and picked up my cell. I knew she wouldn't be up but I left her a message anyway. I didn't want her to worry. "Hey, 'Nes. I just wanted you to know that I'm staying in the city tonight. I didn't want you to worry. I'll call you tomorrow. I Love you! Bye."

I pulled my car into the parking garage of the hotel a few minutes later. The reservation desk had me checked in and I was upstairs collapsing on the bed before the tears even dried on my cheeks. I stood up and looked out the 10th story window and thought about Edward back at home, looking out our living room window…watching for me to come back home. _That wasn't going to happen this time_. Our lives where shifting and I had to accept that the love we shared for years had burned out, like a snuffed candle. The wick was still there but the flame was gone.

I smiled as I remembered how quickly I fell in love with him. He was the most incredible human being I had ever met. He was deliciously gorgeous and every time he smiled at me my brain ceased all coherent thought. I couldn't even remember what it was like before I met him. That first day of senior year was turning point for the rest of our lives…

...

_August 1987…Forks, WA_

_Bella's POV_

_I walked to my locker and met up with my friends, Jessica and Alice in Senior Hall. "Oh my God Bella, I just saw that new guy! He was just coming out of the office and he is, like wicked hot. Like, I've never seen anyone so yummy in this school. He's totally third-base material," Jessica crooned, teasing her hair with her fingers._

"_Gross, Jess. You don't even know his name." I made a 'gag' face. "I can't believe you'd really blow a guy you just met. I'll admit though, that messy bronze hair is totally MTV worthy."_

_She grinned at me as Alice piped up, "I know his name. It's Edward. He's like my neighbor. My dad was out mowing the lawn last night and met his parents. His dad is like a doctor and his mom is one of those stay-at-home-types." _

"_Well, I'm totally gonna bang him. He is fine!" Jess replied. I rolled my eyes at her as she and Alice continued to discuss Edward. Jessica Stanley was the slut of Forks High School and even though she was my friend, I didn't agree with her promiscuous behavior. _

_We often had discussions about whether she used sex to get respect and she always complained 'You're totally going all Breakfast Club on me'. I told her that I learned in Health class that 'guys use love to get sex and girls use sex to get love' but she said she didn't care, she liked sex and would get it, love or not. The idea of people sleeping around like that totally grossed me out! I let the two of them chatter on and I just listened, not really caring what they had to say as I walked to class._

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><p><strong>There is chapter one. Please review and tell me what you thought. I'd love to hear from you. What are your thoughts on these characters? <strong>

**The next chapter will have some entirely new material, so stay tuned and more will follow, hopefully later this week. More reviews = faster updates...just sayin'! **


	2. Chapter 2

**I want to say thank you to everyone who has subscribed and added this story to your favorites. You're all so wonderful! Reviewers are especially appreciated! I am so ecstatic when I receive notifications from FFN that I nearly do cartwheels. Though the children I work with appreciate that I do not actually do cartwheels at work, I'm sure.**

**Here is chapter two. There is a little new material here. Just enough to tease readers, I'm afraid. **_**We gotta keep you coming back somehow, you know**_**. ~D**

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><p><em><strong>Chapter 2<strong>_

_Present Day…Suburbs of Seattle Washington_

_Edward's POV_

When Bella left on Saturday night, I spent the entire night downing a half-bottle of bourbon. I finally passed out on the couch just as the sun started to rise. I woke up around noon Sunday with a massive headache. I tried to call her numerous times throughout the afternoon but she didn't answer her phone, so I left her several messages. Approximately one every hour until at 8 p.m., when she finally answered.

I was just about to leave her another message I heard her shaky voice. "Hello?" She whispered.

"_Bella_! Thank God you're alright. I've been trying to reach you all day," I blurted.

"I'm fine, Edward. I've been sleeping most of the day." She replied.

"I know the feeling," I answered wryly. "Listen, we need to talk. I don't suppose you're planning to come home tonight?"

"I'm not coming home, Edward. I told you that. I did plan to stop by the house tomorrow and pick up a few things, though."

"When can we talk?"

She hesitated, and then answered. "I don't think that's a good idea right now. It's just too soon for me."

I held back a sob. "Isn't there anything I can do? I don't want it to end like this." She was crushing my heart with her rejection.

Her voice was full of tension. "It's way past time for you to do anything to fix this. I'm not going to change my mind. You missed a dinner with our daughter and her new boyfriend. Of all nights for you to flake out and pull a no-show— and after 'Nes planned the whole evening around _your_ schedule. I don't know how you could do that to her!"

I sighed with a shudder, "How is it even possible that this guy is _that_ important? I mean she's only known him for two months. She can't possibly be in love with him that quickly…" _Ooh that was a mistake, Cullen._ _She's going to make you eat those words!_

"_Really?" _I could tell by her tone that she was livid. "You don't suppose that's even the slightest bit possible for _our_ daughter?" She was practically shouting at me.

"I know, Bella…we fell in love even faster than that…" I trailed off.

"Oh, so you do remember?" She snapped back in a condescending tone.

"Of course I remember." I replied with a sigh, then changed the subject, "… Bella, please? I just want to talk to you."

"I will think about it," she sighed into the phone.

"Thank you, that's all I'm asking."

We both hung up and I remembered exactly when it was that I fell in love with her.

**...**

_August 1987…Forks, WA_

_Edward's POV_

_The first day of school I walked into the building, collected my schedule from the office and glanced at the room numbers in the hall. Finding my way around was going to be easy, in such a small school. My first class was English and I noticed immediately that Bella-boom-box-girl was sitting in the front row. I smiled at her, noticing her face flushed as she avoided my gaze. The teacher directed me to my desk, immediately behind Bella. I sat down and tapped her on the shoulder. _

"_Hi, I'm Edward Cullen. I just moved here from Seattle. I wanted to say hello yesterday but you were…busy." I waited for her to respond._

"_I'm Bella Swan." She blushed profusely and that made me smirk at her._

_I realized I was considered good-looking among the opposite sex but I'd never seen anyone react quite like this girl did. Her blush was adorable. I wanted to talk to her longer but class started. After English I walked to my calculus class. Once again, Bella was there. This time I was seated in the desk beside her. I didn't have a chance to speak before class began but I felt her staring at me during most of the lecture time. I flashed a shining smile as I walked out of the room, just to let her know that I had noticed. _

_I was surprised again when she was in my third class, Spanish. The chance might have come up for us to talk more, but Newton was also in this class. I observed immediately that they walked in together, holding hands. He gave me a nasty look as soon as his eyes met mine._

_I chose a seat close to Bella so I could listen to their conversation. "Damn! Cullen's in this class. He just rubs me the wrong way. I can't wait till coach posts the positions and he doesn't get quarterback. That should put him in his place." _

"_That's not fair, Mike. You don't even know if he can play. Maybe Dad won't choose him to replace you but he might be second string. Just think about that," she chided. _

_I didn't hear Newton's response because I began to ponder Bella's statement. She said Dad… Must be Coach Charlie Swan was her father. No wonder Newton told me he was in tight with the coach!_

_I sat by myself at lunch and watched Bella Swan. She was seated at a table with her friends, her back was to me. One girl kept peering around Bella to check me out. I wished I could hear what they were saying because they were clearly talking about me. Bella didn't look my way even once, whereas her friends had no trouble taking turns staring at me. _

_The bell rang and made my way to Science class. This room was set up with lab tables, each table accommodating two students. Bella entered the room also and when the teacher assigned me a lab partner, she and I were paired. Finally…a chance to have an actual conversation with her. _

_I tentatively smiled at her, "Hello again."_

"_I can't believe we have so many of our classes together," she commented. "After this I have gym class and then history. I don't suppose that's what you have?" _

_I looked at my schedule and I smiled at her, "do you want the truth or a lie?" I teased._

"_Truth. Definitely the truth." _

"_Those are exactly the classes I have next. We're together the whole day." I wiggled my eyebrows at her and she blushed and turned her face away. _

"_Bella, I don't bite. You don't have to turn away from me." I encouraged. "I noticed you've been watching me…since yesterday, actually." She gave me a shocked expression. "Hey don't be so surprised. I obviously have been watching you too. Otherwise I wouldn't have noticed you watching me." _

"_It's…complicated. My boyfriend…"she began._

"_Newton." I finished for her._

"_Yeah. He doesn't like you much…"_

"_I don't like him much." I told her. "He and I had words yesterday at football. He's totally full of himself and I hate guys like that." Thankfully she didn't appear offended. Possibly she was aware that her boyfriend was an ass._

"_What I was going to say that Mike hasn't even tried to get to know you yet. I don't think anyone else has either."_

"_Does that mean you're interested in applying for the job?" I teased and she blushed, shaking her head. _

_Man, this girl was pretty._

_The teacher gave us a brief lecture and then an assignment to work on together. I was thankful for more time to talk. "How long have you been with Newton?" I asked her in between assignment questions._

"_A year."_

"_What do you see in that guy anyway? I mean I know I just met you, but you seem personable and friendly. He just…isn't those things."_

"_You have to know Mike," she excused. "He's been the most popular boy in town since Kindergarten. Most of us have been in school together for twelve years and it's just the way we were all raised. Our parents are all friends, and before that many of our grandparents."_

"_So Mike is a jerk because he feels entitled?" I asked._

_She smiled the most beautiful innocent smile I had ever seen, "Yeah, pretty much." She admitted and we both laughed. _

"_No offense but you could do much better." _

"_None taken."_

"_You don't seem upset by me talking negatively about your boyfriend. Are you two serious?" _

"_That's a rather personal question."_

_I hesitated a moment waiting for her to elaborate. "Are you going to answer it?"_

"_Nope." She replied and went right on with our work without speaking another word to me, unless it was about the assignment. _

_After Science I walked to the locker rooms to change for gym class. Both boys and girls classes were playing basketball and when it wasn't our turn to play I stood on the sidelines. It didn't take me long to see Bella also standing with one of her friends. _

_I walked over and smiled. "Introduce me to your friend, Bella."_

"_Edward Cullen this is my friend Alice Brandon. Alice, this is Edward." I had to take a minute to check out Bella's legs in her gym shorts._

"_Hi, Edward." Alice shook my hand._

" _Pleased to meet you Alice," She was a cute tiny girl, with short, dark hair and bright eyes. But I was really only interested in speaking to Bella. "Alice, do you mind if I drag Bella away for a minute? There's something I want to ask her." Alice nodded and giggled while Bella looked surprised. I walked away a few feet and waited for Bella to join me._

"_What do you want?" She asked me nervously._

_I smiled a sexy smile at her, "Well, what I really want is to ask you out." I paused for effect, and then continued. "But since you have a boyfriend what I'll ask you is…why didn't you answer my question about whether you're serious with Newton?"_

_Bella's POV_

_I almost fainted. He said he wanted to ask me out! My heart was pounding out of my chest and I wondered if he noticed. Jess would be so jealous! I stammered not wanting to answer him but finally conceded, "Listen, Edward, I am not serious about Mike, but he's pretty serious about me so I don't want word to get around and hurt his feelings…"_

_As if it was possible, his smile got even sexier. "My lips are sealed. I just wanted you to know that you seem really cool and Newton's a dick. So if you're ever interested in trading up… come see me." He turned around and walked away leaving me standing there with my mouth open. _

_Alice was pumping me for information all the way into the locker room after class. I lied and told her he had a question about our science homework, but she didn't believe me. "Hey don't worry I'm not going to say anything. Especially to Jess," and then winked at me. _

_Even though no one heard what Edward said to me I was still nervous that Mike would find out. In all honesty dating Mike was really convenient. He was cute and all but he was very conceited. He and his snug fitting Levis, Polo shirt and high-top Nike sneakers were really starting to bore me. He was a celebrity-around-town kind of guy, quarterback of the football team and his parents owned the local sporting goods store so they were all well known in the community. My Dad was equally known in the community, having been the school football coach for years._

_I finally realized how incompatible we were last weekend when we went out for movies and pizza. After wards he took me back to his house. His parents were away in Aruba on vacation. I knew we would make out on the couch, that was a given. But he kept trying to push his hands under my shirt, then up my skirt and I had to push him off the couch to keep his hands off me. I had told him time and time again that I wasn't ready to 'go all the way' but he kept pushing._

"_Come on, Bella," he always begged. "All of the other couples are already doing it." I always argued that just because other couples were, didn't mean we had to. I wasn't ready and even though he was, I was able to talk him into taking me home where he softly kissed me goodnight, making me all but forget his futile attempt to coerce me into bed… _

_Before I knew it, it was time for practice. The whole squad was in the locker room chattering about the first day of school as we changed and made our way outside for practice. This time Alice carried the boom-box (she winked at me and said she was afraid I'd drop it again.) We all walked out onto the field and took our positions. As captain I chose which routines we would do and in which order. Alice started the music: "Kiss" by Prince was the first song she chose. We were just getting warmed up with a pom-pom routine when the football team came out to take the field. Boys on the field were incredibly distracting. Especially when one of them looked as hot as Edward Cullen did. _

_Dad walked up to me with his clipboard and whistle in his hand. "Bells, I'm sorry but we're going to have to ask you girls to move your practice inside. We were scheduled to be inside but I have some new players to put through the paces, so we need the field." _

_After some prompting he agreed that we could use the outer edge and finish our outdoor practice. My ulterior motive was to watch the team perform their drills, especially Edward. Plus there was not much chance Mike would notice me checking out Edward if I was doing routines and he was doing drills. _

_We all returned to our practice and before long I looked up and saw Edward intently staring at me. He nodded to me to let me know he saw me looking back at him. I don't know what there was about him. But he made me feel that tingly feeling inside when our eyes would meet. When he said earlier that he had been watching me, I felt wetness in my spankies that I wore underneath my uniform. That had never happened to me before… _

_The music changed and Alice put on "Bad" by Michael Jackson and we continued our dance routine, switching to tumbles jumps and then stunts. By the time our practice was over I was exhausted. We packed up and started trudging off the field slowly. I was sweaty and grass covered and ready to go home and shower. _

_Mike ran over to see me. "I'll be here late tonight but if you want I'll call you later." _

_I nodded and smiled at him. He could be sweet when he wanted to be. He moved closer to kiss me and I joined him but just before our lips touched I felt his hand touch my thigh and move up toward my butt. I instantly backed up, "Don't touch me like that." I snapped._

"_You're just so sexy in that uniform. I'll see you later," He winked at me and walked away._

_I glared at Mike in anger for pawing me yet again, and then I noticed Edwards green eyes smiling at me. Geez why is it every time he looks at me, in that certain way I feel that magnetic force of electricity pulling on me. No other guy has gotten to me like that before. He looked incredible in uniform and I noticed during practice, he was quite talented. He might be the best player the team has ever had… I smiled back at Edward as I thought…Mike would have his work cut out for him. And not only on the football field. _

_Edward's POV_

_It was already dark when practice was finally over. Coach Swan told us that he would have our positions posted within the next few days but to expect a lot more late practices. He also reminded us that we couldn't play in a game unless our grades were acceptable, so we'd better get to work on our homework after practice. _

_After showering, I was putting my clothes back on when one of the defensive players, I think his name was Eric, walked up and tapped me on the shoulder. "Hey, Cullen," he whispered. _

"_Yeah?"_

"_I saw you checking out Bella Swan today." He accused_

_I just shrugged at him. "So what if I was?"_

"…_she has a boyfriend, and he's the captain and quarterback of this team!"_

"_Who cares?" I certainly didn't._

_He looked shocked. "Listen I definitely get it. She's hot! But you're going to be sorry if you don't stay away from her." _

"_Psh!" I scoffed. "You really think I care that she has a boyfriend? It's a free country and besides, I was just looking."_

"_Whatever, man. Don't say I didn't warn you." And he walked away._

_I couldn't deny that I had been checking out Bella and taking every opportunity to flirt with her. A few times I think she was actually flirting back. It was so obvious that there was an attraction between us. _

_And it was also clear to me that Newton and I were going to have problems. If Eric could be trusted, it was obvious to others as well… Newton had it out for me. I knew he was a good player but his arrogance made me detest him. He kept bragging about the college football scouts that had their eye on him and how he was going to get a scholarship because of his ability. He made it clear that he wasn't going to let me mess that up for him. I was determined to prove myself to the team. And if I could impress Newton's girlfriend in the process, it was a bonus. _

_A few days later when the team roster was posted I was disappointed, but not surprised, to see Newton was first string quarterback. Coach told me that I would definitely get some game time and not to be disappointed but to keep playing well and the coaches be watching. Newton wasted no time rubbing his position in my face. And I was developing serious plans to rearrange his…_

_**...**_

_Our first big football game came the second week of school. I sat on the bench the whole game and Newton got to show off after we had won. "Don't worry Cullen; I'm sure the college scouts will notice you! Just keep your helmet off and they're sure to notice those bronze locks of yours." He slapped me on the back it took all of my strength not to pummel him. But I knew a student with a reputation for fighting would never make first string. _

_I avoided him all I could and during the third week's practices, Coach let me have some field time. I showed the coaches and team that I was every bit as good as Newton was. Even though the coaches still wouldn't put me in during a game, I definitely got the attention of some of the other players. After practice one night Eric came up to congratulate me._

"_You're really good, Cullen. If Newton ever gets hurt you're sure to have game time." He smiled genuinely. _

"_I'd like to hurt him!" I replied._

"_Yeah? Well just between you and me you have a greater chance of that than anyone in the school."_

"_Why's that?"_

"_I've seen the way you are with Bella during science class. Man, if he knew you were making moves on his girl…"He let out a low whistle. _

_I wanted to show Newton that I even though I didn't get quarterback, I could definitely play just as well as he could. And even though I wasn't flaunting it, I was pretty sure I could have his girl too. Maybe not now … but eventually. I knew if I played my cards right she could be mine. I wasn't exactly making moves on her, but I was attracted to her. Sometimes I was certain she was attracted to me, too. We sat near or beside each other every single class and we were definitely becoming friends. I never passed up a chance to flirt with her…the first two weeks of school I kept it subtle, but now I decided to take it to the next level._

"_Hi Edward," Bella smiled at me as I sat down at our lab table. _

"_Hi," I smiled back at her. "You look nice today." She was wearing a striped blue shirt and tight stonewashed jeans. I couldn't help but notice how cute her butt looked before she sat down._

_She blushed and rolled her eyes. "Thank you. I could say the same to you every day."_

"_Thank you right back." I winked at her and she turned her head away. _

_I leaned in to whisper in her ear. "I think you know I'm flirting with you. If you would like me to stop just say so…"_

_She turned back toward me and shook her head. "I don't want you to stop… is that a bad thing? I have a boyfriend, after all." _

"_You've already told me you're not serious about him. Maybe that's a sign that you're not supposed to have a boyfriend … OR maybe that you're supposed to have a different boyfriend." _

_Her eyes got wide and her blush became more intense. "I really like you Edward and I'm glad you're my friend, but I don't know you very well."_

"_You could get to know me pretty easy. I won't fight you at all." _

"_We'll see what happens." She said to me and winked back. My heart leapt inside my chest. This meant she wasn't completely ignoring the fact that I wanted to ask her out. _

_**...**_

_That Friday night there was a pep rally and bonfire to celebrate homecoming. The football team, marching band and cheerleaders all took part and most of the students were hanging out around the fire as the coaches tried to rally support for the school teams. The football game this weekend was with the school's biggest rival and they wanted everyone to come out to show school spirit and support their athletic teams._

_I was drinking a can of Coke and eating a burger at the concession stand when Bella came up and stood beside me. "Hey." She grinned._

"_Wow, you look cute." She was wearing her hair curly and she had it back in barrettes with yellow and blue ribbons attached. _

_Her face blushed as she avoided my gaze and ordered herself a burger and a Coke. "Thank you Edward. I'm trying to show my school spirit for the game tomorrow." I quickly took a hold of her hand and pulled her around the side of the concession stand. _

_I looked her directly in the eye and leaned over her, my arm up against the building, where no one could see us in the dark. "Bella, you'd be cute wearing a paper sack or nothing at all." Oh no, now I was blushing! "That's not what I meant." I corrected quickly as I saw a smile appear on her face. "I mean you always look cute and I need to tell you that I've been dying to get you alone so I can kiss you…" I leaned in closer to her and lowered my lips to hers. _

_We were almost touching. "I don't think we should, Edward." She whispered._

"_Have you ever slapped a boy for kissing you, Bella?"_

_She shook her head, "No but I've STOPPED boys from kissing me." _

_I took a deep breath, but didn't move my face, "…and are you going to stop me?" I whispered. _

_She had a frightened look on her face for a moment and then she shook her head and I inched closer as she closed her eyes. I pressed my lips gently up against hers and she sighed so deep it made my heart stutter. I added more pressure and she parted her lips at the same time I did. I locked my lips gently with hers until I felt her tongue lightly skim the inside of my lip and I let desire take over. I reached my hands down and slid them behind her waist, pulling her close to me as I allowed our tongues more room to explore each other's mouth. Her mouth was hot, wet, and delicious. I had never French kissed a girl who made me feel like Bella did. _

_I applied more soft, closed mouth kisses to her lips and then we both stood there staring into each other's eyes. "That was nice Bella." Her eyes were glazed and she looked stunned. "What's wrong?" I asked her, concerned. _

"_You dazzle me." She sighed. "There's no other way to explain it." _

"_Mission accomplished!" I smirked. "Listen I have to go meet up with the team for pictures inside. Can I call you tonight?" I begged, still holding her fingers in mine _

_She nodded, "Yes." She stood there a minute as I walked away and then I saw her turn and walk away also. No one saw us, thankfully!_

_As I walked away from her, I rubbed my lips with my finger, dreaming about how her lips felt on mine just seconds ago. Man that girl can kiss! She said I dazzle her! I wonder what the best word would be to describe what she does to me. God, I can't wait to hear her voice again … I can't wait to kiss those lips again. _

_Eric ran up behind me, slapping my back with his hand. "What's up, Man? You look like you're in a daze." _

_"Yeah. Sorry, man. What's going on?" I asked._

_He shook his head with a smile. "Coach's daughter really has you, doesn't she?"_

_"You have no idea." I replied, ending the conversation there._

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><p><strong>That's it for this chapter. Hope you liked their first kiss. Review and let us know whatcha think, K? <strong>

**Next up****: Find out how much present day Edward would do to show Bella how much he loves her…**


	3. Chapter 3

**I hope you have all been looking forward to this chapter as much as I have. Chapter 3 contains a few new parts, one of which is probably my favorite in this whole story. I love it when Edward is selfless. _SWOON! _There is a brief inappropriate episode in here, not a lemon but remember, this is rated M for a reason. ok?**

**I especially want to thank my co-writer Karen for her contributions to this chapter. I love the great ideas she comes up with! **

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter 3<strong>_

_**Present Day ... Suburbs of Seattle, Washington**_

_**Bella's POV**_

It had been four days since I left Edward and my heart was still breaking. I knew it was best to avoid him; unfortunately he called me this afternoon and asked me to stop by the house this evening. I was apprehensive at first but then he finally convinced me. I pulled into the driveway and paused in front of the closed garage door. Out of habit I pushed the button on the remote near my visor and pulled into the garage.

As I entered the house I saw him standing in the kitchen, hands tugging on his hair. He turned around and faced me with pain reflecting from his emerald eyes. My heart lurched at the sight of him. "Please sit, Bella." He sat on one stool at the kitchen island and I sat on another. "I'm glad you're here. I have some news for you."

"What is it?" I tried with all my might to remain calm. The sight of him hurting like this was very difficult for me to watch.

"I quit my job at Boeing today. I'm going to start privately consulting for the city manager's office next week... _part time_."

I shook my head at him impatiently. "You know, that would have been a good idea years ago. I don't see why you'd bother now. _Weren't your daughter and I enough before_? You wait until we're both gone to make this decision? It's too little too late, I'm afraid." I had tears pooling in my eyes and was embarrassed that his revelation had affected me this way.

"I realize it's not soon enough to salvage anything we had. I am so sorry that I hurt you both. I only wanted to make a good life for us. I realize my attempt to do that drove a wedge between us. You deserve happiness that I obviously didn't give you. I can't go back and give you the time we lost. I wish I could."

"You really don't have to explain any of this to me. We should let bygones be bygones and move on with our lives." I swallowed hard, taking a moment to collect my thoughts. "I'm not sure what that means right now. I just can't do…this," my hand motioned between the two of us, "…anymore."

His eyes met mine and shook his head at me. "I don't expect you to, Bella. I love you too much to make you unhappy any longer." He cleared his throat, "which is why I'm giving you the house. It's your home and you deserve it more than I do."

My tears became heavier and clouded my vision. "Edward this is your home too. You love this house as much as I do …"

"I love you more…and you are the one who made this house _our home_, Bella. I want you to have it." He insisted.

"There is no way I can afford the mortgage, even for the few years we have left. Not on my tutor's salary …" I began.

"That's why I went to the bank today and paid the mortgage off in full. The house is all yours now. Well _ours_ actually. It's still in both of our names, of course. But I want _you_ to have it. And if you have any trouble with the taxes or utilities I will pay those too. I can't stay here, it reminds me too much of you and 'Nes." His voice cracked and my heart nearly broke.

"This really isn't necessary. I've been looking for apartments." I argued.

"Bella there is no use arguing with me. I have my mind made up. My things are all packed. Whatever I can't fit in the Volvo tonight I'll come back and get with a moving van another time. My new schedule starts next week. Boeing agreed to let me take my vacation time in lieu of notice. So for the next month I'll still be on salary but not working. I'll have more time to move and be able to help you with whatever you need to make this transition smoother. I'll be staying at my parents' house for a while until I can find something else."

"I don't know what to say Edward. Thank you doesn't seem adequate." I choked.

"It's my job to provide for you and I can't stand the thought of you staying in a hotel any longer. I don't care how luxurious it is. _This_ is where you belong."

"How did you know where I was staying?" I inquired.

"Mom and I called 'Nes last night to invite her and Jake to dinner this weekend and she told me. Bella, I'm not stalking you, really." He joked with a forced smile. Then added, "You deserve this. So much more than this really, but this is all I have to give you right now. Please accept it?"

I finally allowed tears to run down my cheeks and I sobbed into my hands. He was such a generous man and I realized how difficult this must be for him. Before I could look up I felt his arms around me. He was holding me close to him, making hushing sounds. "I'm not trying to change your mind, Bella. I just can't stand to see you cry." His embrace was so warm and inviting and I relaxed in his arms. He held me until my sobs stopped and I wiped the tears from my face.

I took a deep breath of his scent before pulling away from his chest. "Thank you Edward."

"You're welcome. I am going to pack the car with a few of my things and get going. I'll let you know when I can come get the rest. You can call me anytime, of course." He looked at me, and the pain was back in his sparkling eyes. He put his hands on the sides of my cheeks and briefly pressed his lips to mine in a chaste but sweet kiss. "I'll never stop loving you, Bella."

I stood there in a daze and watched as he picked up a few plastic totes and a rolling suitcase from the landing. He left the door open as he loaded everything in the trunk of his car and waved sadly to me as he climbed in and drove away. I stood there in the kitchen and couldn't believe what just happened.

_Edward was letting me have the house_…and that wasn't half as shocking as the kiss he gave me. A warm, moist, amazing kiss that was so much like the very first one he ever gave me…

_August 1987…Forks Washington_

**_Bella's POV_**

_In that one moment, after Edward first kissed me, my world tipped sideways. I had never cheated on Mike before, but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to feel guilty. Edward's kiss was unbelievable and I'd be lying if I said I didn't want more. His hands on my waist sent shivers up my spine that I'd never felt before. I mean Mike was what I would consider a 'good kisser' he didn't have gross breath or use his teeth like some other boys I'd kissed. But Edward was unbelievable. _

_I watched him on the way back to the bonfire after our kiss and admired the way his butt looked in his uniform. Maybe it was the shiny fabric of the football pants…then again maybe not. Yeah, admit it Bella, he is hot! _

_The teams were all lining up to go inside for pictures and I stood together with my squad while we waited our turn. "Where were you?" Alice asked._

"_At the concession stand…" I answered, not lying._

"_Jess was looking for you and now it's time to go inside and she's not here." _

"_She's around somewhere. We won't take the pictures without her." I walked with the girls into the bathroom so we could check our hair and makeup before the pictures. When we came out the band was on the gym bleachers trying to get their hats all straight and instruments balanced for pictures. Tyler Crowley ran up to me with a panicked look. "There you are, Bella! Have you seen Mike?"_

_I shook my head. Actually I hadn't seen him since before my concession-stand-kiss with Edward._

"_Why?"_

"_We got all lined up for pictures but he wasn't here. No one's seen him; we thought he was with you." I glanced over at the team, scanning the players, almost like I didn't believe what Tyler was saying. I met Edward's eyes and quickly moved my gaze back to Tyler._

"_I have no idea. Maybe he's still outside?" I suggested. Tyler shook his head, explaining that everyone had been looking for him for a while now. _

_My dad walked over and started questioning me as I explained what I'd been saying to Tyler. Edward joined our conversation, "Coach, I saw Mike head out to the student parking lot a while back, while I was getting food at the concession stand. Maybe he went to his car for something?" Dad agreed and went out to the parking lot to look. I wanted to follow but pulled Edward aside first. _

"_You don't think Mike saw…us…do you?" I whispered frantically._

_He smiled a sexy smile at me, "So what if he did?" At my mortified expression, he shook his __head apologetically. "I can't feel sorry about what happened between us. But I don't want you to be uncomfortable with it either. Come on, let's go look for your __boyfriend." His last word was full of disdain. _

_We were just stepping out of the gymnasium entrance when I heard a commotion from the parking lot. A group of students were standing around Mike's car and at first I thought he was hurt but then I saw him standing beside the driver's side door, head hanging shamefully while my dad stood over him. The look on Dad's face was livid. I left Edward's side and hurried to the parking lot but was immediately stopped by Alice. "Don't go over there, Bella." She warned._

"_What's going on?" I asked while she was tugging me back toward the building. _

"_It's Mike and Jess…they were…" Her voice trailed off and I wriggled free from her grasp and ran to where Dad and Mike were standing. _

"_What the hell is going on?" I shouted. _

_My dad looked at me with a painful stare, and then he looked back at Mike who was turning pale. "Michael, would you like to tell Isabella or would you like me to tell her?" Mike opened his mouth to speak but then I heard a tearful sob behind me, I turned to see Jess standing there with Angela and Lauren. Her face was covered in black smudges, mascara running down her cheeks. _

"_Bella…I'm so sorry." Jess cried. "I never meant to hurt you, honest." _

"_What happened?" I choked; my face was suddenly hot, realizing that practically every student in the school was standing around looking at me. _

_Mike finally broke his silence, "Coach, can I speak to Bella in private?"_

_Dad shook his head, "Michael I don't ever want you to be 'in private' with my daughter. You can tell her here…"_

_He nodded and couldn't look at my face, "Bella I was…fooling around with Jess…in my car."_

"_What?" I was stunned at the implication. "What exactly do you mean?" _

_Alice came up and whispered in my ear, "Jess was giving him head, Bella." _

_My stomach lurched and I felt nauseated. I glared at Mike and then awkwardly at my Dad and then spun around and ran as fast as I could toward the gym. I heard voices behind me but my pulse pounding in my ears made everything muffled. I felt tears of embarrassment begin to sting my eyes and I felt like I was going to barf. My stomach twisted and I lurched forward in the grass ready to humiliate myself even more when Edward pulled up beside me in a Mercedes. He reached his hand out the car window. "Do you need a ride somewhere?" I looked up at him pathetically and nodded. He leaned over and opened the passenger door and I got in just before he pulled away quickly._

_I leaned my head back into the seat of his car and rolled the window down to minimize my nausea. I gasped for breath, nearly hyperventilating. "Are you okay? Do you need a doctor?" Edward asked, concerned. _

_I shook my head, "I'll be fine, just get me to hell away from this school."_

_He drove around a few streets and then he pulled over to the coffee shop. "I think you need to get something to eat." He smiled at me, "after all, you never got your burger from the concession stand." I agreed and we went inside. We were seated at a booth and ordered coffees._

"_I'm going to have an order of fries and a hot fudge sundae" He told the waitress. _

_That sounded good. "Same for me." I smiled slightly. "Thank you for rescuing me, Edward. That was the most humiliating moment of my life."_

"_That's what friends are for." He responded. "So…do you want to talk about it?"_

_I shivered and shrugged. "I guess. I'm kind of in shock right now. I can't believe they both would do that to me!"_

"_Crowley told me…I'm sorry Bella. You must feel terrible." I nodded in agreement and we sat there quietly for a few minutes, before he asked, "Do you love him?"_

_I flinched at his assumption. "Of course not! I told you I wasn't serious about him. I just can't believe he would do that to me…after all of the times we…" I stopped speaking and Edward's face registered surprise. I chuckled, "That sounds worse than I meant it to. Mike and I haven't ever…fooled around or anything thing like that. He was always trying to get me to but I wasn't ready. Still, it makes me sick that he…and Jess would betray me like that."_

_He acknowledged my feelings and we started talking about all of the chaos that was likely going on back at the school right now. He joked that they were probably all out looking for me now and I joked that Mike was likely forming a lynch mob for Edward and me both. "I don't know if he saw you get in my car. He was probably too busy trying to talk his way out of trouble with Coach."_

_I laughed, "My dad is probably worried. I should call him." Edward gave me money for the payphone and I dialed my dad's office. _

"_Coach Charlie Swan," his voice was tense._

"_Dad, I wanted you to know I'm fine. Edward Cullen brought me to the coffee shop to calm down. I'll be home soon."_

"_Bells, thank goodness you're okay. I won't be home soon, I have some …" He stopped momentarily then continued, "…player discipline to take care of with the principal." Uh oh, Mike was in trouble! I suppressed a giggle then hung up, telling Dad I would see him at home._

_I explained with laughter to Edward what my Dad had told me and we took turns wondering what Mike's punishment would be. It only took Edward a few minutes before he was reaching for my hand over the table. "Is this alright?" he asked. I nodded my head. I needed the distraction._

"_So do you plan to talk to …him?" _

"_I plan to call him when I get home and tell him to go fly a kite."_

"_What? You mean you don't want to work it out with him?" He joked._

"_Nah. After all, just before Mike got caught… I was kissing…someone else." I blushed. _

"_You don't say?" He teased, holding my hand a little firmer. "And do you plan to confess your indiscretion?" _

"_Nope. What he doesn't know won't hurt him." _

_We finished our food and Edward paid the check and we left the coffee shop still holding hands. Once we were outside he pulled me into a comfortable embrace which I returned. "Mmm. You feel so good in my arms Bella. I am sorry about everything that went wrong tonight. I hoped our first kiss would __be smoother." _

"_I thought it was very smooth. Unforgettable in fact. Unless you think we should try again to be sure we took full advantage of that opportunity…"_

_He smiled amusedly at me. "I thought you'd never ask." He lowered his mouth to mine the second I leaned in to kiss him. This kiss was gentle, slow and arousing. He seemed to know exactly how to kiss me, when to turn his head, when to open his mouth and when to slow the kiss and trail small wet kisses down to my neck. "We'd better go, Bella. I'd hate to get caught kissing you in public while you still have a boyfriend."_

_I scoffed at his choice of __words. "I'm done with Mike, Edward." _

"_I'm glad," He commented as we climbed into his car and he drove me home. He kissed me one slow, tender kiss when he dropped me off, asking if he could still call me like we agreed on earlier. I nodded and blew him a kiss from my front step before walking in the door._

**_Edward's POV_**

_After I dropped her off at home, I was driving to my house and listening to the radio. My lips still could taste the strawberry gloss she wore on her lips. As I was turning the stations I caught the beginning of a song, She Drives Me Crazy by the Fine Young Cannibals. _

_I listened to the lyrics: _

_I can't stop the way I feel,_

_Things you do don't seem real,_

_Tell you what I got in mind,_

'_cause we're running out of time,_

_Won't you ever set me free?_

_Right away I thought, she does drive me crazy, those eyes, those beautiful pink lips and they were just on my lips. Jesus, what was this girl doing' to me? Just then I started singing along…_

_She drives me crazy,_

_Like no one else,_

_She drives me crazy, and I can't help myself._

_I pulled up into my driveway at home and listened to the rest of the song. As it ended I shut the engine off, grabbed my bag, and headed inside. I walked in the house and dropped my bag off at the door. I went into the kitchen as my mom was loading the dishwasher._

"_Hi honey, how was school and the game?" she asked_

"_It was good. Is there any dinner left for me?" I asked as I went to the fridge and opened the door. _

"_Yes, it's right there in the blue Tupperware. It's roasted chicken, potatoes and a salad." I popped it in the microwave after removing the lid and put it in for two minutes and grabbed a Coke to drink._

"_So tell me about the pep rally. Were any of your new friends there?" She asked with a cocked eyebrow. Just then the microwave beeped. I pulled my dinner out and grabbed my fork, blowing to cool down and taking a bite._

"_Yes, actually." I said to her in a pleasing tone. _

_She sat down next to me at the table, "Do tell, Son."_

"_My friend, Isabella Swan, was there. She goes by Bella…her dad is the football coach and she is a cheerleader." I said in between bites._

"_A girl, huh? My, my Son. What's she like?" _

"_She is funny, smart, and beautiful. She has the most incredible eyes and a blush to die for." I said in a play full tone._

"_Edward, you'd better be careful I hear she is going out with Mike Newton, the quarterback. He is quite popular you know." She had a concerned, motherly tone._

"_Well she isn't going out with him anymore. At least I hope she's not." _

"_What do you mean?"_

"_He was caught by her dad doing something with one her friends. Needless to say I think he is trouble both ways, literally speaking. But I intend to be Bella's shoulder to cry on." _

"_Just be careful. I don't want you getting hurt by him or her."_

"_Don't worry I have everything under control. I better head upstairs to do my homework" … and call Bella._

_I grabbed my bag and headed to my room. I laid my bag on the bed and grabbed my phone. My parents got me my own private line when we moved in, and bought me a cool phone too. I dialed her number and waited…_

**_Bella's POV_**

_The phone was ringing as soon as I closed the door; I turned on the light and rushed to answer it. "Hello." _

"_Bella! My God I was so worried about you. Are you okay?" Mike rasped. _

"_I'm fine." I answered tersely. _

"_I'm so sorry, Bella. I'm begging you to forgive me! I don't know what I was thinking…" he began._

_But I cut him off. "Michael Newton, you make me sick! I can't believe you have nerve enough to call me asking for forgiveness, after what you did! We're through! Do you understand me?"_

"_You're not breaking up with me are you?" Was he stupid? Of course I was. "No Bella please…"_

"_If you really wanted me so bad then why would you do something like that?" I questioned._

"_Bella! You know how horny you've been making me; it's not like I haven't told you. And Jessica offered so I screwed up and let her… well you know. So now I'm suspended for the next week and I can't play football and if you don't take me back I'll be devastated." He ranted_

"_You actually want to make this out to be my fault? Yes, I'm breaking up with you and I don't care how devastated you are. If you really cared you wouldn't have let Jessica Stanley near you!" I slammed the phone down and then took it off the hook while I went upstairs to shower and change out of my cheer uniform. When I came back down I returned the receiver to its cradle and it immediately began to ring again. This time I lifted the receiver but didn't speak. I paused to see whose voice was on the other end. _

"_Hello?" It was Edward._

"_Hi Edward." I smiled into the phone, explaining my hesitation in answering._

"_Did you talk to Newton?" He prompted. I explained that I did and the outcome of my conversation with Mike. I heard Edward let out a sigh of relief. "So not to put you on the spot or anything…but I was wondering, since you're not dating anyone if you'd like to go out with me next Friday." _

_Wow, totally not what I expected to hear. "I'd love to go out with you." I bit down on my lower lip nervously. _

"_Cool. So I'll see you at the game tomorrow, right?"_

_Darn! I'd forgotten about the homecoming game. "I'll be there, cheering the team on. Oh and I'll especially be rooting for our new quarterback." _

"_I'd better hit the sack. I'm going to need lots of rest for the game tomorrow. Good night Bella." _

"_Good night Edward."_

_That night when Dad finally got home it was after eleven o'clock and he and I sat up talking about the Mike incident. I had to admit that I was uncomfortable, but as far as father-daughter sex talks go, it was over pretty quickly. I explained to him that I was still a virgin and assure him that Mike had never pressured me into anything. He was relieved at not only that but also that I had broken up with Mike earlier. Then we both went to bed so we could rest up for tomorrow._

**…**

_Dad and I arrived to the school several hours ahead of the game. He wanted to review some plays that had formerly included Mike and after that, he prepared a pep-talk for the team. I had to re-work some of the cheer routines because Jessica was also suspended. I opted to replace several easy pom-pom routines for the stunts that would require another cheerleader and by game-time we were warmed up and ready to go. The bleachers were filled and we were lining up at the door ready to go and support our team. I had painted a huge paper banner that said "C'mon Spartans, let's kick a little 'A'". The squad and I ran ahead of the team, stretching the banner across the field as the team, led for the first time by Edward, ran through the banner. _

_The band played, the crowd cheered and at half time the Spartans were ahead 36-27. It was a close game, but Edward was playing perfectly and the team was following his lead with no difficulty. I stood nervously in the girls' locker room and paced, hoping for a win so that Dad would see Edward as the competitive player he clearly was. The squad attributed my nervousness to my break-up with Mike and our temporary loss of Jess and I didn't attempt to correct them. _

_The second half of the game was nail-bitingly close and in the last few seconds, Edward threw a 'Hail Mary' pass into the end-zone to win the game 56-51. The crowd was screaming, the team was jumping in victory and the players dumped an entire jug of ice water over Dad's head. The team lifted Edward over their heads, carrying him into the locker room. _

_The jubilation continued into the evening with a celebratory pizza party at our house. Dad ordered dozens of pizzas to feed the team, their families and a whole slew of others. There were at least 100 people at our house and the celebration continued into the night. _

_Dad started a bonfire in the back yard and by dark there was only the team, a couple of girls from the squad and me left at the party. I changed into jeans and a sweatshirt to stay warm and went to sit by the fire. "Great job cheering us on today, Bells." Dad commented. You really kept the crowd going." He put his arm around my back and I returned his hug. I sat on a bench beside Dad but I really was looking for Edward. He was the man everyone wanted to talk to and I noticed several times since afternoon that a grin never left his face. _

_I went inside to grab another Coke and heard the phone ring, but I was blocked in the kitchen by two of the linebackers. They were mowing down on pizza and discussing the pros of all meat pizza for football players. _

_I couldn't squeeze around them to get to the hall to answer the phone, so instead I shouted, "If anyone is near that phone, would you please answer it for me?" _

_I could barely see around the corner but heard Edward's smooth voice say, "Swan residence. Edward Cullen speaking," I finally succeeded in climbing under the table between the two mouths constantly chewing._

_As I stepped into the hall,__ I smiled at him, standing there with the phone in his hand and his mouth open. He smiled back at me and held up one finger over his lips. "I'm sorry Newton, but Isabella is off celebrating somewhere. Uhm, yes I've seen her… She's about 5- foot-2 with brown hair right?" He put his arm around my waist and pulled me close to his side as I suppressed a giggle. "Sure, I can go look for her but the last time I saw her she was cuddling next to one of the players …" My eyes got wide and his did too. "Aww, that's too bad. He hung up." He looked innocently at me. "I'm glad to see you!" He wrapped both of his arms around me and pulled me into the unoccupied living room. _

**_Edward's POV_**

_I was enjoying my time with my teammates, of course but I wanted time alone with Bella. "Come in the den with me?" She suggested. I agreed and followed her, holding her hand. She dropped down on the sofa and turned on the TV. "No one will come in here, I'm sure." She told me, patting the seat beside her. _

_I sat next to her and put my arm around her, as she leaned into my shoulder "I haven't been able to talk to you all day." I explained to her. _

_She nodded in acknowledgment. "You did great today, by the way." She flashed me a beautiful smile. _

"_You did too; every time I got tense I suddenly heard the crowd cheer and you were leading the way. I couldn't have done it without you."_

"_Like you said, that's what friends are for." _

"_Am I your friend?" I wondered._

"_Of course you are," she replied with confidence._

"_I was kind of hoping that after our kiss … and you breaking up with Newton, that we could be more than friends …" I suggested._

_She sat up straight, "I'd like that… someday," she blushed._

_I leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Someday soon?" _

"_We'll have to see." Her smile was so sweet and genuine that my heart melted._

_I wondered what was holding her back, so I asked, "you're not ready yet, are you?"_

"_Not yet, but I'll be thinking about it."_

"_Take all the time you need, Bella." I pivoted my body closer to hers and placed several soft kisses to her lips. "I'll wait." _

"_How about I put a movie into the VCR? We could watch Dirty Dancing?" Bella asked._

"_You just like Patrick Swayze don't you? That's okay because, Baby, is very cute also," I said teasing Bella. She play slapped me and put the movie in..._

_In the middle of the movie, I heard Bella snoring. She was half way between lying on my chest and the couch, sound asleep. She was so cute! She had her arm wrapped around my waist and she was snuggled up close to me._

_Coach Swan came in and said loudly, "Hey Bella, have you..." he stopped mid sentenced and saw her sleeping against me on the couch. _

_Thankfully, I had the VCR and TV remote beside me. I turned it down immediately. "I'm sorry, Coach. She just fell asleep while we were watching a movie …" I started to explain, but he nodded and held up his hand._

"_No need to explain, Edward. She's had a rough couple of days. All week, actually. It's getting late. Here I can take her and put her to bed," he said, reaching for her._

"_I can do it, if you don't' mind. I wouldn't want to disturb her… then I will just head home." He nodded and I lifted her into my arms. I walked up the stairs, carrying her as she lightly snored. I took her to her bed, kissed her on the cheek as I pulled the blankets over her, and left her room. _

_Coach Swan was in the kitchen when I got back down the stairs. "Okay, she's in her bed. I will call her tomorrow, good night Coach Swan." I said leaving._

"_Edward, here at my house, you can call me Charlie, okay?"_

_"Whatever you say, Coach," I smiled at him and left out the front door. As I drove home I thought about Bella and realized that I was completely in love with her. I can't believe it happened so fast. She is everything I ever wanted in a girl; pretty, sweet, down to earth. Perfect._

_As I drove in the driveway, I noticed the living room light on. As I opened the front door, I was greeted by my mom._

"_Did you have a good game?" she asked._

"_Yeah, we won. Why are you up so late, it's not like you to wait up?" I asked sitting down on the couch. _

"_I wasn't waiting up for you, son. Your dad should be home shortly. Congratulations on the win by the way. What did you do afterward?"_

"_Coach Swan had us over for a party at his home, and I spent some time with Bella watching a movie. She actually fell asleep on me."_

"_Oh, what happened to Mike? Was he there?" she asked concerned._

"_No mom, he wasn't there. He is suspended; remember I told you he got in trouble? Well, Bella broke up with him … so I stuck around to spend time with her."_

"_Are you two going out then?"_

"_We have a date this Friday." I answered._

"_Just be careful son. Rebound relationships seldom last very long." She warned._

"_Don't worry mom. Everything will be fine, I promise. It's been a long day and I'm tired. Good night." I climbed the stairs, went down the hallway to my room, took my clothes off and went to bed._

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><p><strong>So that's Chapter 3. What was your favorite part? Review PLEASE! <strong>

**Next up: Bella and Edward's date. _What will that be like?_**


	4. Chapter 4 Part 1

**Hello Readers! Here is a little New Year's Gift for you all. Because we all need an Edward and Bella fix, right? **

**I had to divide Chapter 4 into sections because it was getting too long. So here is part 1. More to come soon, I promise.**

**I hope you enjoy it and I would appreciate reviews to let me know whether you like this story. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, I appreciate your support. You all make me smile!**

**Special thanks to my co-writer Karen who helps keep my ideas straight. **

**~D**

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 4 … <span>Part 1**

Present Day…Suburbs of Seattle WA

_Edward's POV_

As I pulled away from the house, my heart was breaking. But at the same time, knew I was doing the right thing. Bella had put so much time and effort into that house. She raised our daughter there. She made _us a family _there. She was the one who deserved to have it. She was right, of course. It was my home too, and I did love that house, but I had been working so much of the time that I wasn't there as much as she was. It meant a lot to me, but it meant more to her.

We bought the house when 'Nes turned five. I still remember the look on Bella's face when the realtor pulled up in the driveway for the first time. She didn't stop smiling the whole time we were taking the tour. She reminded me of a little girl in a fairy tale.

"It's so expensive, though. How can we afford it without me working? Maybe I need to get a job and send 'Nes to daycare after all."

"I will earn enough with the promotion at Boeing. We're paying so much in rent right now and when we put that toward our mortgage instead…it'll be a piece of cake." I reassured her.

Her face stared out at the lake and then she looked into my eyes. "Are you sure?"

I put my arm around her tightly and nodded, "I'm sure. Unless you would rather keep looking at other homes…?" I teased.

She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed me. "No, this is the one I want."

"Me too."

Bella and 'Nes spent that whole summer decorating the house and playing by the water together. There were so many days when I would come home from work to find them cuddled on the couch, hair damp from swimming and smelling of sunscreen and fresh air…

I pulled into the driveway at my parent's house, accepting this new situation with some sense of dread. I loved Bella more than anything and I didn't want to lose her. I knew I should have quit my demanding job and spent more time with my family years ago. But there was the house to pay for, and then college tuition for 'Nes…and it never seemed the right time. _Until now._

I walked into the living room and placed two boxes at the end of the hallway. "Are you alright, honey? You look so sad." Mom looked up from her newspaper, peering over the top of her reading glasses.

"I'm fine, Mom."

"How'd it go with Bella?" She put the newspaper down on the coffee table and walked over to the bar where I was pouring myself a drink.

I nodded, "It went okay. She was crying when I left but she didn't ask me to stay…" I took a long sip of my drink.

She put her hand on mine in an attempt to comfort me. "You don't think she's seeing someone else do you, Son?"

I rolled my eyes, "Of course not, Mom. She'd never do that." _At least I hope not, because that would be out of character for Bella._

We sat in the living room together and talked for a while until Dad got home for dinner. He joined me at the bar for another drink while Mom put the food on the table. "Are you going to let her stay at the house indefinitely?" Dad questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, she has as much right to be there as I do."

He nodded, "And do you plan to contact a lawyer to make any of this legal?"

He was beginning to irritate me. "I don't need a lawyer, Dad. Bella is my wife and I have no plans to divorce her. _Hell, we've only been separated four days!"_

"I just want to be sure you're looking out for your interests. You've worked too hard for too many years to give it all away without a fight."

I slammed my glass down on the bar, "The only fighting I'm going to do is to win Bella back. I don't care if she takes everything we own! She is all that's important to me."

"Calm down, Son. There's no need to be so defensive."

Thankfully he changed the subject and we began talking about renovations for his office, which carried us through dinner. After dinner, I sat on the deck, watching the water and dreaming of happier days. Bella and I had always had such a strong connection. From our very first date I knew I was in love with her. I smiled to myself remembering that night.

_August 1987…Forks, WA_

_Edward's POV_

_The week before our first date went by way too slowly for my liking. I was looking forward to my date with Bella Friday night. I couldn't wait to take her out…I wanted to kiss her again. I had barely seen her all week because Coach had the team out practicing late every night. We needed more practice with me as quarterback so we all worked hard and hopefully would win our game the following weekend. _

_When Friday night finally rolled around, I rushed home after practice to shower, so I could pick Bella up before nine. I knocked on her door and was surprised when Coach answered. "Evening, Edward."_

"_Evening…Coach Swan…" I stammered._

"_C'mon in. Bells will be down soon. She's upstairs with Alice…finishing off a can of hairspray." He smiled and I chuckled nervously. Even though I had had lots of girlfriends, this was the first time I ever had to meet a parent before a date. I didn't know what to say to him. Thankfully he did the talking…"Don't be out too late, now. Tomorrow is another big game and I don't want either of you too tired."_

"_I won't, Coach. We're going to a movie and then have a bite to eat. I'll have her home around midnight."_

_He nodded his head in agreement just as Bella came down the stairs. She looked so cute in tight stonewashed jeans, black high heels, and a pink half-shirt. "Don't blame her for the way she looks Coach Swan. I did her clothes, hair and make-up." Alice beamed._

_Coach swallowed hard. "That's quite a look, Bells." Bella said something about parents not understanding fashion and he agreed that he simply didn't understand._

"_You look beautiful." I blurted then noticed Coach's eyes roll and instantly regretted my choice of words. I had so much respect for Coach and I didn't want to offend him. But at the same time, I was totally crazy about his __daughter. W__hat I felt for Bella was different than anything I'd ever experienced before. I felt like I could be myself around her, which wasn't common for me at all. I hoped she also felt as comfortable around me. _

"_I'm going home now. You guys have fun." Alice chirped as we walked out onto the porch._

"_Not too late, you two," Coach warned once again. I promised we wouldn't be and took her hand as I walked her to my car. _

_As soon as Coach closed the door Alice's smile turned sly. "Have fun Bella," she quipped, "and don't do anything I wouldn't do." She winked and gave Bella a hug before getting in her own car and driving off._

_Bella blushed and I smirked sideways as I opened my car door for her. "Thank God she's gone," Bella said, taking down her side mirror and wiping blue make-up from her eyes with a Kleenex. "She wouldn't listen when I told her no more eye-shadow."_

"_You look beautiful," I repeated. _

_She blushed adorably which made my heart beat faster. "Thank you, Edward."_

_I reached and held her hand in mine as I drove through the quiet Forks streets. Her hand felt so warm and smooth, I didn't want to let it go when we got to the theater. We arrived just in time for the late showing of The Princess Bride and conveniently found a seat near the back of the theater. I took her hand once again in the darkness and whispered, "I've been dying to kiss you all week."_

_Even in the dark I could see her blush, "What are you waiting for?" She asked, her eyes wide in anticipation._

_I leaned over to her seat and we instantly joined our lips in a desperate kiss. I placed my hand on her shoulder and noticed her sleeve was falling down, leaving skin exposed there. I began to stroke the top of her shoulder and heard a quiet whimper escape her lips. That was enough to give me a hard-on so I suddenly stopped kissing her, not wanting her to notice what she was doing to me. We watched the movie together, but every so often I would lean over and kiss her softly but kept holding her hand, carefully avoiding that bare shoulder. The movie was funny and sweet and I walked her out of the theater and back to my car when it was done, holding her close in the dark._

"_What do you say we hit the drive-thru and then go find someplace to…talk?" I suggested. She smiled and agreed, continuing that beautiful blush. At the window we both ordered burgers, fries and Coke and I headed out to the state park road. _

_The road was deserted, and I parked my car way off to the side, turning the engine off so we could talk while we ate our food. The second I turned to talk to her, her lips were suddenly on mine. I tasted the salt from her fries on her mouth mixed with her own sweet flavor and instantly became hard again. _

"_Edward," she gasped, pulling her mouth away from mine for a moment. "Why did you stop kissing me in the theater?"_

_I felt myself blushing now and answered, "Bella that shirt you're wearing has your whole shoulder bare and you felt too good to me…" _

"_It's totally okay with me if you touch me there," she commented, continuing to press her lips into mine. _

_Who was I to argue with a beautiful female? _

_I joined her in the incredible kiss she was giving me and shamelessly ran my fingers over her bare shoulder. I felt her move closer, coming over the console of the car and before I knew it she was sitting in my lap. I reached my left hand down and slid the seat as far back as it would go and then returned my hand to her beautiful shoulder. The kiss was becoming more intense and the windows were steaming up._

_I grinned widely at her. "Bella, don't get me wrong, I love the way this is going. But I didn't expect to go this far on our first date." _

_Her face registered surprise, "I've never made out like this before. It's something you're doing to me, I can't touch or kiss you enough…" She was embarrassed._

_I ran my thumbs along her cheeks and kissed her mouth once. "It's the same for me. I've kissed a lot of girls and made out with plenty, but it's different with you. I don't want to push this though. I mean, you're not even my girlfriend…" _

_Her eyes looked down and she bit her lower lip, "I'm sorry. I know I told you I'd think about it but…" _

_I could see the desire fade from her face as she spoke. The lights from the dashboard illuminated her beautiful face and my heart skipped a beat. "Bella. I'm crazy about you. I want you to be my girlfriend. I promise I would never hurt you like Newton did." I knew I told her I'd wait but I wanted her to be mine. _

_She just stared into my eyes and nodded, then __smiled nervously, "I'd like that, Edward." Then she pressed her lips back into mine.__ I was lost in the intensity of our kiss and the feeling of her sitting in my lap in the driver's seat made my hard-on return. "Recline your seat back so I can reach you better," She asked. I did as she requested, and before I knew it, her hips were against mine again. She lay completely on top of my in my seat and I found myself gripping my hands into her butt, holding her closer to __me. I wondered if things were moving too fast, but I couldn't help myself._

_My hands moved to her waist and when I felt the warm smooth skin there I couldn't help but explore her. My fingers slid up her back and then around to her rib cage as she plunged her tongue into my mouth. I curved my hands up toward her bra and suddenly realized this was too much. _

_I tore my lips away from her mouth and gasped, "Bella, we need to slow down." I looked deep into her chocolate eyes and saw the same intensity I was feeling. "Let's talk for a minute." I sat the seat upright and held her still on my lap. "This isn't why I asked you out. I want to get to know you."_

"_I want to get to know you too Edward but I can't keep my hands … and lips off you." _

"_I don't want to lose control like this. You're too important to me..." If I was being truly honest, I would have said__I was falling in love with her. But I realized I couldn't voice it yet since this was only our first date. Instead I asked, "By the way, did you just agree to be my girlfriend?" _

"_Yes, I did. That's what you wanted, right? Now will you kiss me?" She teased, leaning closer to my lips._

"_In a minute I will, okay? I want to ask you something. Have you … uhh … I mean … have you ever…" I couldn't bring myself to say the words. _

"_I never went all the way with Mike. I never did more than kiss him. He tried many times to get into my pants but I always stopped him."_

"_I'd never try to push you to do anything like that, Bella."_

"_Well damn!" she joked, smirking._

_I laughed at her and rubbed her back with my hand. "I've never gone all the way either, and I totally want you but I wanna take it slow."_

"_I'm actually surprised at how much I want you. In the year I went out with Mike I never felt like this."_

"_Must be he didn't know what he was doing." I teased._

"_Must be…" She pressed herself into me again and I leaned the seat back once again and resumed making out with my girlfriend, which felt like heaven._

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><p><strong>I realize that this part of the chapter is all Edward's POV, but I promise there will be some of Bella's POV in the next part. Stay tuned, more to come. <strong>

**UP NEXT: ****Present Day family dinner for Edward, see what that brings. Also, 1987's Bella's POV of their first date...Here's just a tiny teaser for you of her POV of that night: **

_... My tongue mingled with his as we kissed with wet mouths. I lay on top of him and ran my hands through his hair as he ran his hands up and down my back. His hands inched inside my shirt and up my back, then forward to my ribs and..._


	5. Chapter 4 Part 2

**Time sure flies! It's been two weeks since I updated so here is part 2 of chapter 4. As promised,present day Edward's family dinner and Bella's POV of their first date toward the end of the chapter. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4 ... Part 2<strong>

**Present Day…Suburbs of Seattle WA**

_**Edward's POV**_

**I was using a silver polishing cloth on the flatware, Mom watching me over my shoulder to make sure I was following her directions exactly. I turned my head and chuckled at her. "Mom, I am sure that 'Nes won't care whether the silver is polished perfectly or not. It's a family dinner, after all."**

**Mom's salt-and-peppered hair shimmered in the light from the chandelier above the dining room table. "You never get a second change to make a first impression." She quoted. "This will be our first time meeting her new beau and I don't want him thinking we're uncivilized …" She trailed off as she became distracted by an out-of-place flower in the centerpiece. She quickly adjusted the flower and then resumed watching me polish the silver. **

**Dad walked down the stairs wearing a suit and tie. He stood next to Mom with his head tilted sideways. She immediately began straightening his necktie and turning the collar under just so. **

"**A suit, Dad? **_**Really**_**?" I shook my head at his exaggerated formality as Mom clucked her tongue at me, reminding me that even dinner parties at home were an occasion to get dressed up. **

**I could hardly believe I had grown up in such a formal home. I laughed, remembering when I was quite young; they would always throw these formal cocktail parties. The women would wear their hair up in these intricate bouffant styles and the men wore plaid leisure suits. Mom would spend all day making food and Dad would spend all evening at the bar mixing drinks for their guests. **

**The pretentiousness of those times was thankfully gone with that era. Sadly, since I was now living back in my parent's home, I was thrown back into a time-warp where suits and ties were worn to a family dinner. I went upstairs to change and to Mom's dismay I walked down the stairs wearing a white, unbuttoned dress shirt and slacks. **

"**Why aren't you wearing a tie?" She questioned.**

"**I wanted to be comfortable. Plus, I might have to kick this guy's ass for messing around with my little girl. I didn't want the necktie to get in the way," I teased. **

**She feigned shock and rolled her eyes at me. "You shouldn't joke that way. ****He is ****probably a really nice boy…" **

"**He might be but I don't see how he could possibly be good enough for Renesmee. She's been through college and dodged all kinds of losers, and now this one **_**Grandson of a Native American Chief **_**comes along and she's head over heels for him? I just don't get it, what is so special about this guy?" My skepticism was running away with me. **

"**Come on, Son." Dad interjected. "You know Bella has already met him, ****and ****taken a turn raking him over the coals. Give the kid a break for tonight. Let's get to know him before we put him in the hot seat. What do you say? Let's give 'Nes some credit. She's never brought home anyone too scary…" Dad joked.**

"**They're all scary to me, I'm her Daddy. You and Mom never had a daughter to worry about…" **_**Ugh, here it comes, another lecture from Mom**_**.**

"**No but we did have a particularly adventurous son who took this one girl parking every time he turned around…" **

**Thankfully the doorbell rang. "Whew, saved by the bell." I laughed watching Mom jump in nervousness as she ran to get the door. **

**I stood still behind Mom as she opened the door to find Renesmee standing on the door step, lip-locked with a tall, dark-skinned young man with hair down to his elbows. His hands were gripping her waist and hers were woven into his shiny hair. **

"**Ahem!" I cleared my throat loudly, causing my daughter to jump. **

**Her face flushed with embarrassment. **_**A trait completely inherited from her mother. **_**"Uh, sorry Grandma, Dad." She sucked air through her teeth, and wiped her lips with the back of her hand in embarrassment.**

**Mom held the door wide open. "Please come in," she smiled graciously to hide the embarrassment of watching her only granddaughter making out on her front step. **

**Renesmee was wearing a long sleeved printed dress, which hung above her knees. She had her hair down and natural, flowing in large ringlets below the middle of her back. I observed her movements with Jacob closely, noticing his hand was placed on the small of her back as she walked into the house. **_**Quite an intimate gesture; How long had the known each other, again? **_

"**Jacob, please meet my Grandma, Esme Cullen and this is my father, Edward." **

**He smiled, showing gleaming white teeth, "Pleased to meet you both." He removed his hand from her back and held out his hand for me to shake. I gripped his hand firmly, wanting to show him I was no weakling, even at my age. To my surprise, his grip was firm as well**_**. Hmm, maybe he wasn't easily intimidated. Give me a minute; let me try a little harder…**_

**Mom escorted us into the living room for drinks and appetizers. He sat close to Renesmee on the love seat and by watching their body language; I could tell she was more nervous than he was. **

"**Tell me how you met," I inquired. **

"**We were taking a class together at UW," Jacob answered.**

"**Actually Jake should have been teaching the class. It was a class in martial arts, and I was taking it as part of the dance requirement…" 'Nes explained. Renesmee was studying drama at University of Washington and was currently finishing up her fourth and final year. **

"**Well if I had been teaching, it wouldn't have been acceptable for me to ask you out." He explained. "Your daughter has some serious strength when it comes to kicking. She was the most amazingly fast learner, and after the second class I was smitten." He never took his eyes off of her the whole time he was speaking. **_**It was kind of charming and just a little annoying.**_

"**So you're experienced in Martial Arts?" My dad asked.**

"**Yes, I've studied Martial Arts since I was five years old. The only reason I was taking the class in the first place was because a friend of mine signed up and asked me to join him." He explained. **

"**What is your degree in, Jacob?" Mom inquired as she passed a tray of canapés around.**

"**I graduated last fall with a degree in engineering." I sat up and immediately took more interest in the conversation. Renesmee amusingly took notice of my attentiveness. **

"**I'm an engineer also," I explained. "What is your specialty?"**

**Jacob laughed lightly. "Yes, 'Nes told me that's your field as well. I actually am taking graduate courses right now to earn my Masters in education. I want to teach, either science or math." **

**I nodded my head, "And you are aware that Renesmee's mother…" I began but was cut off. **

"…**is also a teacher! Yes, Dad, I told Jake all of this." She smiled and put her hand on his knee. **

**Mom, who was always so observant and caught the awkwardness of me eyeing my daughter's hand on this guy's knee, stood and announced that it was time for dinner. We all merged into the dining room where the table impeccably set. **

"**Wow, Grandma. Everything's so shiny. What did you do, have Grandpa polish the silverware?" **

**Dad chuckled under his breath. "No 'Nes, that task was assigned to your father this time! I ironed the napkins and placemats." Everyone laughed in unison, with the exception of Mom, who clearly didn't understand what was so amusing. **

**She served salad as the first course and then followed with roast beef tenderloin, garlic mashed potatoes, homemade rolls and as if that wasn't enough, pecan pie with homemade vanilla ice cream for dessert. I sat there, thoroughly stuffed as I listened to 'Nes and Jake tell my parents about the classes they each were taking. **

"**You're still planning ****to ****move into an apartment off campus next semester?" I asked my daughter. Her face flushed and she swallowed before answering me.**

"**Yes, Dad, that is still plan." She spoke hesitantly, making me wonder what she wasn't telling me. **_**I would make it a point to corner her later.**_

**Mom refused our help to clear the table or clean the kitchen, so the rest of us went out onto the deck to watch the boats on the water. "This is a lovely home you have here, Dr. Cullen."**

"**Thank you, Jacob. My wife and I bought this when Edward was starting college. We sold our home in Forks and moved here to help him and Bella with raising Renesmee. The hospital in Forks was sorry to see me go but I have to say that being Chief of Staff in a city hospital certainly has its perks. I would have retired long ago if I hadn't felt so bored when I wasn't working. Esme maintains our home so well, even Edward couldn't resist moving back in," Dad joked. **

**Moving back in with my parents at 41 years old was not something I was happy about. It hadn't even been two weeks yet and I still was difficult for me to admit the painful turn my life had taken.**

**Renesmee, who had always ****been ****good as a diversion, changed the subject. ****"****Daddy, will you take a walk with me on the pier?" **

"**Of course I will." I agreed. We walked silently and I took my daughter's hand in mine as we navigated the dark, narrow pathway between the front yard and the pier. **

"**Thank you for having us over for dinner, Daddy. I know it must be hard for you, being here…without Mom." **

"**Your Mom and I both love you, 'Nes. Our problems have nothing at all to do with you. I hope you know that." **

**She nodded, "Yes, Daddy but I know how mad Mom was mad when you missed that dinner. It really wasn't as big of ****a ****deal for me, as she made it sound." She tried to make her voice sound pleasant but she was hurting inside.**

**I turned to look into her eyes and could see the pain there. "I know it hurt you, you don't have to pretend for me. You will never know how sorry I am. I've made a lot of decisions over the years that caused both of you pain and I know she tried to protect you for a long time. It wasn't only me missing that dinner with you and Jake that made your mother upset. My mistakes are my own to deal with though. I have no one to blame but myself."**

**I continued to hold her hand as we walked along the pier near the water. "What do you think of Jake?" She asked, gazing at the reflection of the moon on the surface of the lake.**

"**I guess he's nice enough. Being an engineer and studying to be a teacher is a nice touch!" I chuckled. "Good way to butter up a girl's parents."**

**She stopped in her tracks and looked up at me. "I love him, Daddy." I nodded, but didn't say anything, waiting for her to finish. "I realize we've only been together two months but he loves me too…" She paused, apparently searching for words.**

"…_**And**_**…?" I prompted.**

"**And we moved in together two weeks ago!" She breathed a sigh of relief as I tensed. "I know I should have told you sooner. But I already told Mom…**_**that night**_**…and I wanted to tell you in person, not on the phone." She turned to look at me and had tears in her eyes. **

**I pulled her into a hug and held her tightly. "Baby, if he makes you happy, that's all I want." **

**She cried into my shirt for a few moments before pulling her head away and sniffling into her coat sleeve. "I'm sorry that this news is coming at such a difficult time for you…and Mom." **

"**You don't worry about Mom and me. We are both so very proud of you. I hope you know that." **

**She nodded and continued to sniffle. "You gotta tell Grandma now." She shoved my shoulder with her own as I shrugged. **

"**Probably not tonight. She was already way too shocked at seeing you and Jake kissing on the doorstep when you arrived." We walked a few minutes longer before returning to the house. **

**That evening after 'Nes and Jake left and I retired to my room, I took a minute to remember how it felt to be so young and in love like they were. I pulled my phone out and dialed Bella's number, needing to hear the voice of the woman I loved so desperately. **_**Then and now.**_

_**Bella's POV**_

**My feet were propped up on the footstool and I was sound asleep with the remote control in my hand when my phone jolted me awake. I dropped the remote, making a thud as it hit the carpet below my feet and picked up the phone without looking at the caller ID. **

"**Hello," I answered, groggily.**

"**I hope I didn't wake you." My heart rate sped up entirely of its own accord when I heard his voice. **

"**I was asleep on the couch, Edward. Is everything alright?"**

"**Yes, everything's fine. I wanted to tell you that we had 'Nes and Jacob over for dinner tonight."**

"**How did that go?"**

**He explained nearly every detail to me, about how Esme made them polish the silver and forced Carlisle to wear a suit. We laughed together ****at ****the typically overdone style of his ****overbearing ****but loving mother****,****b****efore his voice became quieter and he added, "Bella, 'Nes told me that she and Jake are living together." **

**I cleared my throat before speaking. "Yes, I knew that. It's so hard to believe that she's old enough to be living with a man. Did ****that news ****upset you?" I didn't even try to hide the concern in my voice. ****He deserved to know I was worried about his feelings too****. **

"_**It did a little**_**. I still think of her as our little girl. ****Even though she's not anymore****. She's not, though. She's a woman now. It makes me realize how much time I missed." His voice became quiet before adding, "I'm so sorry I missed so much Bella." **

"**Hey, please don't apologize to me. I think we've already covered this."**

"**Guess I'm in the mood to apologize ****tonight****. I made my apologies to 'Nes earlier." ****He admitted.**

"**I'm going to see their apartment next weekend. I told her I'd help her with some decorating. I know your Mom would love to be involved with that, but since '****Nes ****hadn't ****even ****told you yet, we thought it best to keep it between the two of us."**

"**I'll tell Mom and Dad later in the week. They had enough to deal with already tonight. When 'Nes and Jake came to the door, Mom caught them kissing on the doorstep…" His voice came to an abrupt halt. **

"_**Dear God, what was she thinking?**_** Was she trying to give her Grandparents a heart attack?" I tried to sound serious even though I realized we were the same way when we were young. **

"**It's nice to know that she found someone who really loves her." **

"**She recognized it right away, Edward." And I couldn't say out loud, but I was thinking; **_**Just like we did.**_

"**I am glad she's a bit older than we were, though. At least it isn't quite as much of a shock as we gave our parents. Mom started to remind me of that tonight," **_**He was smiling, I could tell.**__**God, how he made my heart race! **_

"**Okay, enough reminiscing. I have to work in the morning. Thank you for calling. Oh, ****and ****I found some more of your things the other day. Stop by and get them when you're ready. I'll leave them by your closet." **_**Damn, did I have to say HIS closet? He didn't live here anymore.**_

"**Thank you." He sighed deeply before adding, "Have a good night, Bella. **_**I love you."**_

"**Please don't make this harder than it has to be, Edward. Have a pleasant evening." I hung up before whispering…**_**and you know I love you too.**_

_August 1987 … Forks Washington_

_Bella's POV_

_Making out with Edward was unbelievable. My tongue mingled with his as we kissed with wet mouths. I lay on top of him and ran my hands through his hair and he ran his hands up and down my back. His hands inched inside my shirt and up my back then forward to my ribs and chest once again. I breathed heavier the closer he got to my breasts and moved slightly away from where his chest to give him more access. He let out a frustrated growl from his throat,_

"_Bella…I want to…"_

"_Go ahead," I encouraged. He hesitated and looked at me imploringly for a moment. "Please Edward, I want you to." _

_He slowly placed his hands over the top of my bra and held me in his hands for several moments before gently gripping me with his palms. At the same time, I felt his erection grow beneath me and beamed with a sense of pride. _

_I suddenly had an urge to touch him so I gingerly stroked my fingers across his jeans and cupped my hand over his hardness and rubbed firmly. He moaned and gripped me tighter, but kept his hands over the top of my bra. _

_We continued touching each other for a few minutes while our mouths twisted against each other's in an intense kiss. Eventually Edward groaned loudly, sat up and gently pulled my hand away from his jeans. "Let's not push it. You're making me too excited. I think it's time for me to take you home," He removed his hands from under my shirt and sat his seat forward as I adjusted my clothes. _

_He held my hand in the car as he drove me home and when he pulled up the curb, h__e leaned over and kissed me gently. "Let me walk you to the door." He opened my car door for me and held my hand as we walked up the steps and stopped at the door. "You deserve a proper kiss goodnight after all of that intense making out." He put his hands on my face and drew me close to him. His mouth was soft and sweet on my lips and I sunk into his touch as he kissed me, gently but with passion. "Good night, beautiful Bella."_

_He waited for me to go inside and then I heard his steps retreating and his car start. I collapsed into bed, dreaming of how hot and hard his body was underneath mine…_

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><p><strong>1987's Edward is hesitant to go too far with Bella ... hmm that kind of sounds familiar ;^) <strong>

**Next up: Bella dishes to her friends about her date with Edward. Will she tell all or keep some secrets? **

**Review and let me know what you think. I can't wait to hear from you all!**


	6. Chapter 4 Part 3

**Hello readers! This section of chapter 4 has taken a while to put together and I apologize for the longer time in between updates. I had a lot I wanted to say and just couldn't fit it all into one chapter. But here it is finally, enjoy!**

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><p><em><strong>Chapter 4 … Part 3<strong>_

_August 1987 … Forks Washington_

_Bella's POV_

_I was apprehensive about how Edward and I were going to ease our friends into our new relationship. My friends on the squad were all interested in hearing about our date. Before the game on Saturday, I went into the girls' locker room and told them that he had asked me to be his girlfriend. They all chattered over the fact that I said yes so soon after breaking up with Mike, but then again, they all agreed that Mike didn't deserve anymore from me after what he pulled with Jessica._

"_So, did he kiss you?" Alice pressed. _

_I could feel myself blushing as I admitted he had. Although, I wasn't going to tell them anymore details than that; not even Alice. Of course none of them knew that Edward had already kissed me several times before our first date. That would be our little secret. _

"_Is he a good kisser?" Angela asked; her eyes wide with excitement. _

_I made a face at her. "You've seen his lips… what do you think?" The girls all shrieked excitedly _

_as we made our way to the field for the game. _

_The Spartans won their game once again and this time the team and cheerleaders all met at the Pizza House afterwards. Edward and I sat side-by-side, his arm draped over my shoulder as many of the players watched us __closely. He kept twirling my hair with his fingers; his face was close to mine._

"_I wonder who's going to be the first one on the phone to Newton when they get home tonight." Edward whispered in my ear__. His warm breath tickled my face as he talked; truthfully it was turning me on. But then I couldn't let him know that. I squirmed a bit in our seat._

"_I'm sure none of them want to tell them. Mike intimidates most of the team, even the ones that are his friends. No one wants to make him mad. They've all seen what kind of temper he has." I looked up at Edward's face to see if he seemed nervous at all. He wasn't._

"_Do you think he'll cause a scene on Monday? I just want to prepare __myself just in case."_

_I shrugged. "Probably. You're not having second thoughts are you?" _

_He shook his head, looking directly into my __eyes. His hand was brushing my cheeks as he spoke__, "I've wanted you to be mine ever since I saw you that first day on the field. You know, the day you dropped the boom box…" He teased, as I blushed in embarrassment. "There's no way in hell I'm going to let Mike Newton screw this up." _

_Unfortunately it was time for us to go. So Edward helped me out of the booth and held onto my hand until we walked to Alice's car. He stopped as we reached her car and pushed his body closer into mine causing a major heat wave in me. "Can I come over tonight?" He whispered in my ear, as I stood beside the car door._

"_I think Dad will let you. Stop by in an hour, okay?" I blushed as he pressed his lips to my cheek, leaving a warm kiss there. _

"_I'll finish that later," He whispered into my ear, before he walked away. _

_I practically fell into Alice's car, delirious from him kissing my cheek. "Holy Shit, Bella. That guy is so hot he sizzles. Look at his ass!" __Boy does he ever!_

_I turned and slapped her arm. "Hey, don't talk about my boyfriend that way," I teased her. _

"_I gotta tell you, Bells, I have known all along that he was going to be the guy for you. I had an epiphany about you and Edward that first night after we met him. I'm telling you, I'm like one of those psychics on TV. Trust me, I knew from the beginning." I wondered if her mouth ever stopped as I attempted to drown her out as she rattled on about her physic ability the whole ride home…_

_..._

Present Day…Suburbs of Seattle WA

_Bella's POV_

After hanging up the phone from Edward's call, I turned the TV off and climbed into bed. A feeling of loneliness suddenly swept over me. I'd had this feeling many times since Edward left, but after hearing his voice, it was even worse. I curled up in a fetal position on his side of the bed, clutching a pillow against me. For the hundredth time since we split, I wondered if I had made the wrong decision. Tears formed in my eyes and I brushed them away quickly.

I firmly believed that all of the pent up anger I had for Edward's years of neglecting our family was reason enough for me to want this split to be permanent. I owed it to myself to stop allowing him to continue to hurt me. For two weeks I had been entertaining the idea of asking him for a divorce. I lay there and remembered the night he left and the pain in his eyes, and then I recalled the resentment I felt in my heart at the time.

I realized I couldn't handle living in limbo any longer. I sucked a quick breath through my teeth and decided that tomorrow would be the day. Tomorrow would be the beginning of the end of my relationship with Edward. I was calling the lawyer and having him file divorce papers as soon as possible. I couldn't take Edward back after everything that had happened. I had to make this decision and follow through. It would hurt, but it had to be done, for my own mental wellbeing. It was over between us and nothing was going to change my mind.

_xoxo_

By noon the next day I walked out of the law firm. My bank account was considerably smaller, given the sizeable retainer I paid to begin divorce proceedings. The attorney I chose had come highly recommended by a co-worker and after a lengthy consultation he agreed to take my case. Given the worth of our assets and the length of our marriage the retainer was considerable, although I was determined not to fight Edward on anything, the attorney felt there could be unforeseeable disputes.

I climbed into my car and picked up the phone, trying to decide if I should call Edward and tell him what I had done. I felt torn between my head and my heart. In my head I knew that filing for divorce was the right decision but my heart ached at the thought of ending our marriage. I held my finger on the call button of the cell phone as I remembered how hard I had fought for him at the beginning of our relationship. Between our parents and friends, the odds had been stacked against us from the very start. Yet back then I had chosen to fight for what we had, and today…I had not.

...

_August 1987 … Forks Washington_

Bella's POV

_I knew that Monday morning was going to be awkward because both Mike and Jessica were returning to school, and there was bound to be friction. But it was Edward that I wanted, so I it wasn't even an option to get back together with Mike. _

_Before my first class, I was standing at my locker talking to Angela and Alice when Jess joined us, shamefacedly. "Bella, I'm sorry about what I did…" She began._

"_Save it Jess. What you did is disgusting and unforgiveable, and if you dare show your face at cheer practice, the team can decide…if they want you, or me" She tried to argue but I turned and walked off to meet Edward. _

_Unfortunately I ran into Mike first. "Bellaaaaa," he exclaimed, putting on his most charming smile. "I couldn't wait to see you today." He reached for my hand and I yanked it back away from him._

"_What are you doing Mike? We broke up!" __Ugh! He had some gall touching me after what he pulled!_

_He seemed surprised at my rejection. "C'mon Bells. I know we can work this out."_

_I shook my head at him. "We're not going to work it out. I don't want anything to do with you anymore." I walked away from him and he didn't follow. I hoped this meant he would drop his attempts. Unfortunately that didn't happen._

_Later that day, in Spanish Class, he walked in and saw Edward and I sitting together and his face turned bright red. "I believe you're sitting in my spot, Cullen." _

"_This isn't your spot anymore Newton." __Edward answered, looking straight up at Mike. _

"_Didn't I tell you that I own this school, Cullen? This is my spot…right next to my girlfriend. You'd better back off." Mike warned. _

_Edward stood up from his chair. "Apparently you haven't heard, Newton. Bella's MY girlfriend now." Edward smiled as Mike clenched his fists. I was sure there was going to be a fight. _

"_Mike, stop this! You and I are through and Edward's right, we're together now. You should just accept defeat." I interjected. _

_Mike backed away from Edward, his fists still clenched. He shook his head in disbelief. "You know me better than that, Bella. I do not accept defeat. This isn't over yet…" He threatened. _

_I was worried about what would happen the entire day and even though Edward assured me he wouldn't fight with Mike I still was skeptical. Edward was able to keep his promise until practice that afternoon. _

_I stood with the cheer team, practicing in front of the bleachers while the football team came out onto the field. Dad stood with the other coaches, a clipboard in hand and whistle in his mouth, getting ready to give the team warm up instructions. I saw his eyes focus in concentration and he shook his head in disbelief. _

"_Mr. Newton!" I heard Dad call. _

_Mike showed up in front of my dad, smiling widely. "Yes, Coach?"_

"_I'm sorry to say that you've been moved to second string quarterback. Mr. Cullen was here in your absence and took us to two victories."_

_Mike's temper escalated as he argued, "You have no right to do this. I am the best player on the team!" _

_Dad shrugged one shoulder. "You only have yourself to blame. You should have used better judgment before your escapades in the school parking lot."_

_Mike threw his helmet to the ground and kicked it across the field before yelling a string of obscenities at my dad. The team circled around to contain Mike as he railed, "You have no idea what you've started, Coach Swan! My parents will get you fired and I'll be back as quarterback in no time. This team is nothing without me and football program wouldn't exist if it wasn't for my parents' money to support it. They pay your salary, remember?" He challenged. _

"_I hate to break the news to you, Mr. Newton, but the town of Forks pays my salary. Your parents don't have nearly as much influence as you seem to think, because I've already discussed this decision with the school board and they support me. My decision is final"_

_Mike's face became red with rage and he swung his fist back ready to punch my dad as several players pounced at the same time. Helmets went flying and most of the guys stepped between Mike and my dad as Edward grasped his arm, twisting it up behind his back and laying him flat on the ground. Mike continued to scream and squirm as his face was plunged into the turf. _

"_That's not cool, Mike. Stop this shit and let's go." Eric attempted to pry Edward's hand from Mike's arm. "C'mon, I'll drive you home."_

_Edward lifted Mike from the ground and began to shove him toward the parking lot, as one of the other coaches stepped beside them to escort him from the field. Mike spat dirt from his mouth as he walked backwards toward the gate. "You've pissed me off for the last time, Coach Swan And you, Cullen…taking my position and then my girl. I'll make sure you pay for this. You know, maybe I should hit you both where it really hurts…" The entire team watched in shock as Mike ranted. "BELLA SWAN! You're a two-timing bitch! I can't believe I wasted a year with you…you little cock-tease!" _

_Before Mike could get another word out of his mouth Edward charged at him in a blur of speed. He pulled back and punched him square in the face. Mike's head snapped back, he flew up in the air and landed hard on his back on the ground_

_Edward stood over him snarling, "Don't you ever speak to Bella again. Got me?"_

_Mike stood up and pressed his hand to his mouth, pulling back fingers covered in blood. His angry look didn't fade, but he ran from the field, not saying another word. _

_I felt everyone staring in my direction and embarrassment washed over me. I started shaking and my eyes filled with tears. Edward was at my side almost immediately. He grabbed me up in his arms and pressed his hands into my back. _

_I couldn't believe what had just happened. _

_Tears poured down my cheeks as Edward held me tight. Then suddenly he was kissing me. A wet; mouths- full- of-tongues; arm- clutching; legs-wrapped- around- my-man- kiss! Right there in front of the team and my __Dad kiss…and suddenly I wasn't embarrassed anymore, I heard the other players whistling and doing cat calls as we stood there kissing._

_..._

Present Day…Suburbs of Seattle WA

_Edward's POV_

I maneuvered my car into traffic as I left the parking garage. My first formal meeting with the city council had gone well. They had a few projects that required my expertise and they were more than willing to compensate me accordingly, even as a part time consultant.

I was looking forward to the new challenges ahead of me. The pressure of my former position was long gone and I wondered why I hadn't seen it before this. I'd been under stress for years and had just forged ahead, not realizing the anxiety it was causing, as well as the wedge it was driving between my family and me.

My phone rang, pulling me out of my thoughts. I quickly turned my eyes to look at the screen. Seeing it was Bella, I pressed the button to answer. "Hi Bella, how are you?"

She hesitated before speaking, and then asked. "Where are you?"

"I'm on my way to my parents' house, just leaving the city now. Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine. I need to see you…um…_talk to you_. Can you meet me somewhere?"

"Of course I will. I'm almost to the interstate, but I can turn around. Want me to meet you at home?"

"I'm about ten minutes from the Café…" She suggested.

"I'll be there. I love you, B..." I hadn't even gotten the words out before she hung up.

I turned the car around in the closest parking lot and headed back down the street toward the Café. I arrived there before Bella did and sat in a booth to wait. It was a few more minutes before she walked through the door with a nervous look on her face.

I stood up and smiled at her, placing my hand on her back gently guiding her into the bench across from me. Her face was tense and when she looked into my eyes it was clear she had something to say. I pushed my smile from my face, took a deep breath and waited for her to speak. The waitress poured us both coffees and the tension was thick in the air.

"Edward, I'm sorry." She began, averting her eyes and looking down at the table. Her hands clasped each other and she wrung them nervously. "I hate that I have to tell you this…But, I filed divorce papers this afternoon." She spoke quietly.

I tried to breathe but no air would come in or out of my lungs. It felt as though my heart had been shattered into a million shards of glass. I stared into her eyes as she bit her lower lip nervously. My first thought was that I must have heard her wrong. Because the look in her eyes didn't show _nearly_ the amount of pain you would have expected after 23 years of marriage.

I finally managed to find my voice, "You're serious? Bella, how could you do this to me? To us?" Tears stung my eyelids but I forced them away.

"I didn't do this _to you_. I did this _for me_." She explained. "I have too much resentment in me to go on in this marriage. I've been unhappy for too long and I'm trying to move forward and make a life for myself. I don't know what else I can tell you, Edward." She brushed off my pain like it was nothing to her.

My mood was quickly changing from hurt to anger. I pursed my lips and shook my head at her. "You sound more selfish than anything else. I never would have believed you were capable of hurting me like this."_I briefly wondered if there someone else in her life already?_

"_Selfish_?" She spat. "You'd know all about what that looks like. Years of you putting your own life before mine…_Hell, before our daughter's life!_ You really have no room to criticize anyone else for being selfish. I _hate_ that I had to do this!"

"That's bullshit, Bella. You didn't _have_ to do this! So don't sound so regretful. You obviously have no remorse." I accused.

"I can see this conversation is going nowhere. I don't want to make this difficult. I will give you anything you want. I'm not going to fight with you. I just want it over!"

"Really, Bella? Anything? _Anything at all?_ Because what I really want is to not be having this conversation in the first place!" My fists clenched underneath the table as I tried to get my emotions in check. _I couldn't believe she really wanted to end our marriage._

"You know what I mean. I just want to make this as agreeable as possible."

"That's not likely. I don't want this … and you do. It sounds like there's no way to agree!" I raised my voice and a few of the restaurant patrons turned to stare.

She answered calmly, pissing me off even more. "I'm talking about dividing our possessions, the house, cars, all of that…" Her voice trailed away.

"I don't give a shit about any of that, Bella. _All I've ever wanted is you__!_ Can't we talk about a compromise?" _Jesus, this hurt so badly. Like no other pain I had ever felt. I couldn't believe she did this here … in front of people no less._

Her eyes rolled in derision. "What kind of compromise is there in a divorce, other than division of property?"

My anger was slowly fading away and the hurt was returning. "Can't we stay separated and not divorce? That sounds like compromise to me?" I pasted on a smile, trying to lighten my disposition.

"Edward your mood swings are giving me whiplash." Her eyes smiled and she shook her head, regaining her seriousness. "I'm not going to change my mind. I've put a lot of thought into this decision. I'm very sorry that I've hurt you."

"I'm sorry I've hurt you too." I stood up, dropping cash on the table to pay for our coffees. "Thank you for telling me in person. It won't come as such a shock when the papers are served." I smiled, though my jaw was clenched tight.

She stared at me as I slid my arms into my jacket. There was pain in her eyes now and I wondered why I couldn't see it there before. She lifted her cup and finished the contents. "Thank you for understanding."

"I _don't_ understand. There's just no use in fighting the inevitable. Good night Bella." I placed my hand briefly on her shoulder before turning and walking away.

I didn't turn back as I left the Café and climbed into my car. I pulled away from my parking place and tried to smother the burning ache in my heart. She was my entire world and in the matter of a few minutes, she made it all come crashing down.

I could still feel her warmth in my fingertips from where I brushed across her shoulder moments ago. The feel of her body when I touched her had been indelible from the very first time we touched, like she was a part of me.

_Except that part of me had now been severed._

Flashbacks of touching her flooded my mind. I merged onto the interstate and sped into the darkness, trying to forget the memories of touching Bella.

...

_August 1987 … Forks Washington_

_Edward's POV_

_Coach Swan had been so proud of me for defending Bella that after I punched Newton, he slapped me on the back and told me he was pleased to have me date his daughter. _

_That evening when I picked her up for our date, he hugged Bella and shook my hand. "I trust you with her, Edward. Have fun you two!"_

_I held her hand as I drove us to the drive in theater. We were watching a double feature and the first movie playing was Like Father, Like Son. It was funny and we laughed a lot at the father and son switching places. She laid her head on my shoulder as we held hands, kissing gently every few minutes. During intermission I went to the concession stand to buy us popcorn and soda, meeting her back at the car. _

_The second movie was Fatal Attraction, and Bella quickly became too scared to watch. She kept pressing her head into my chest to hide her face from the screen. I pulled my arm tighter around her shoulder and covered her eyes for her when she would cringe. I felt her fingers on the collar of my shirt, caressing my throat before placing a warm kiss there. Our eyes met and I pulled her into a tighter embrace and locked lips with her. _

_Before long we were making out in the driver's seat, forgetting all about the movie. She pulled herself over my lap and straddled me as we picked up right where we left off from our last date. My hands rubbed under her shirt, but over the top of her bra and her hand brushed lightly over the top of the bulge in my jeans. _

"_Unh, Bella! That feels so good." I gasped. _

_She moaned loudly, encouraging me to go further. I slipped my fingers down to her ribcage, and eased just the tips of my fingers under the elastic of her bra. "Mmm," she sighed, nodding in approval. I slid her bra up over the curves of her breasts before slowly circling around their edge before slipping my hands to cover them. _

_I looked deep into her eyes without moving my hands. "Is this okay?" _

_She nodded excitedly and stroked my erection faster. Desire suddenly took over and I kneaded her skin gently before running my fingers over her nipples. I felt them harden to tight nubs under the pads of my fingers, at the same time I realized her heat was increasing between her legs. _

_I kissed her firmly, both of our tongues winding around each other and she began to rub herself against my thigh. Not only was there increased heat but I was beginning to feel moisture forming at the seam of her jeans._

_My breathing increased as she increased the pace of her hand against me once again. Suddenly her fingers stopped gripping me and she reached for my zipper…_

"_Stop," I breathed, frozen as I looked into her eyes intently. "I can't do this with you yet. It's too soon." Disappointment flashed on her face, so I sat us upright and kissed her softly. "Bella, I'm sorry but I don't want to rush into this." _

_She blushed brightly, covering her face with her hands. "You understand it's not you, right?" I asked, as she nodded her head but kept her face covered._

_I could tell she was embarrassed about how far we had gone. I heard her gulp air in through her mouth. I pulled her hands away from her face, and saw tears forming in her eyes. "Don't cover your face please. I need to see your beautiful eyes."_

_She took another deep breath, "I got carried away and I'm sorry." _

"_We both did. C'mon let me drive you home." I started the car, giving her one more firm kiss on her lips. We rode together, holding hands and she stroked my fingers in a soothing way._

_Once we got to her house I parked on the street and shut off the engine. "Bella, you're the most attractive girl I've ever met. I want you so bad it hurts, but I don't think we should get caught up in sex before we really know each other." _

"_I want you that way too. But I do want to get to know you first. I usually have more control than that…and I'm sorry." She apologized once more._

_I gave her a slow, sensual kiss goodnight and watched her walk into the house. After she was inside and her porch light flicked off I shifted in my seat to adjust my erection. I smirked to myself and realized that this was my first time feeling a girl up, and my first time being felt up by a girl. And it was really sexy! _

_That night when I fell into bed I was both __ashamed of how I behaved, but at the same time still wanted her too badly to care!_

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><p><strong>That is the end of Chapter 4. I hope you enjoyed it. <strong>

**If there is anything specific you'd like to see, or questions you have, please feel free to message me. I'm happy to answer questions or take suggestions. **

**As I've said before, this story was originally written for a contest but the characters had way too much to say to me as I wrote it and I simply had to write more. **

**My co-writer Karen has helped me sort through ideas and clarify situations. She discovered the contest to begin with and chose the song. which I listened to dozens of times to get the inspriation for this plot. She is also an intergral part of this story and I feel I haven't given her due credit. _So kudos to Karen for everything she has done. XOXOXO _**

**Send me back a review or PM and let me know how you like this update. **


	7. Chapter 5

**I'm so happy the Spring is just around the corner. The warmer weather makes me so happy! **

**Here is the next chapter. It's completely original...meaning none of this chapter was in the original story published for the Like Totally 80's contest. **

_**Lemon warning ahead! Take cover if you're sensitive to sexual content, k?**_

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 5<span>**

**Present day…Suburbs of Seattle, WA**

**_Bella's POV_**

I felt lousy as I left the Café that night. After breaking the news to Edward, I realized I had handled it all wrong. It may have made me uncomfortable, but this should have been done in private, at our home. Not in public, surrounded by strangers_._ I chastised myself for my poor choice of timing and location.

He had accepted the news, albeit upsetting, with dignity. He really was an honorable man; I couldn't fault him for that. Although I accused him of being moody during our conversation, he had, in fact, controlled his temper rather well. And even though there was no way to let him down easy, he was respectful to me, not throwing my mistakes in my face.

Still, having to make this decision tore at my heart painfully. I still loved Edward, but I was certain we would never be able to work through our differences. The difficult part was he hadn't done anything _truly_ awful. He wasn't abusive and had never been unfaithful. He simply put other things, _namely his career_, ahead of 'Nes and me. The resentment I felt for not being first in his life paled in comparison to the resentment I felt for him not putting our daughter first.

I took a deep breath as I reached to unlock the door to the house. I walked inside and put my briefcase down on the bench by the door, hung up my keys and coat and walked to the kitchen to make myself some dinner. I decided to reheat some leftover soup. I poured it into a large soup mug and walked out onto the deck, overlooking the lake. I sipped the hot liquid, letting it soothe me as I thought about the difficult choices that would need to be made as we moved forward with our divorce.

There would be no way I could afford to buy out Edward's share of this house in order to stay here. He would definitely have more leverage where our expenses were concerned, considering his salary. Even though he said he wanted me to have the house, I knew it wasn't practical to think he'd let me have it free and clear. It would likely have to be sold.

Tears came to my eyes as I ran my hand along the deck rail, remembering the late nights we would spend out here, rocking 'Nes on the porch swing, because she would beg to watch the water until her eyes closed. She would let the sound of the waves, splashing against the shore, lull her to sleep, as she lay her head on her father's lap, her feet in mine. I remember watching Edward stroke her hair away from her face as she relaxed onto him, and how my heart swelled with pride as I realized the precious person we made together, loved him as much as I did.

I walked back into the kitchen and placed my dishes in the dishwasher before locking the doors and ascending the stairs for bed. I paused at the top of the staircase and looked into our daughter's room. More memories came flooding back and I allowed my tears to fall down. Her whole life, she had been so proud of her room, even though there was only a small view of the lake from her window. She would sit on her window seat for hours on end, simply watching the water.

I entered my bedroom … _our bedroom_… and was again overcome with emotion. I bent one knee up, and climbed onto the center of the bed, clutching a pillow to my stomach in an attempt to hold myself together. My tears were joined by sobs as I allowed myself to fully release all of the pain in my heart. I cried hard and gasping for breath, recalled all of the times I lay here, alone, waiting for Edward to return home to me. I reached toward the bedside table and switched the light off as I slid my body under the comforter and blankets. Searching my heart for relief that never came.

**Present day…Suburbs of Seattle, WA**

**_Edward's POV_**

I walked into my parent's home late that night, finding Mom and Dad reading their newspapers in the living room. I quietly entered the room, avoiding telling them the truth.

"You're so late, Son. Is everything alright?" Dad asked, sliding his reading glasses to the tip of his nose as he gazed over the top of the paper.

I shook my head, "No. It's not, Dad. I've been out riding around town for hours trying to accept what happened with Bella and me…" I took a deep breath before adding, "She filed for divorce today."

He and mom both put their newspapers down and I told them the whole story. I was devastated, but felt comforted by the support of my parents. Mom simply listened and though I could see this hurt her, she didn't try to interfere. Dad, however, was not as compassionate.

"We need to call my attorney first thing in the morning to see what he can do about freezing your assets. You never know what she might do with full control of your bank accounts…"

"_Dad_! I've already told you that I have no intention of doing that to Bella." My voice oozed with derision.

"Son, just because she has broken your heart is no reason to make a foolish decision where money is concerned. _Do not underestimate her_; she has already filed for divorce. There's no telling what she might do next. She could transfer everything you own into her own personal account and leave you penniless forChrist's sake! If you are not going to look out for what's yours, then I will have to do it for you," he insisted.

Finally I shouted at him, "I cannot believe you would even think she was capable of anything like that. _This is Bella we're talking about!_ She's the mother of my child and has been part of this family for 23 years. How could you even make such an accusation?"

He placed his hand on my shoulder in a comforting gesture. "At least talk to him, Edward. I'm not saying you don't have to take his advice, just listen to what he has to say. Then you can do whatever you want. Please?"

"I'll make an appointment for a consultation with him if it will make you feel better." I conceded.

"Thank you, Son. I'll go with you and we can meet with him together if you want." I nodded in agreement, and then told them both goodnight as I slunk, defeated up the stairs.

**xoxo**

Friday night I was looking over some blueprints for the city council when my phone rang. "Hello?" I answered, distractedly.

"Hi Daddy."

"'Nes! I'm so glad to hear your voice. I miss you, Baby."

"I miss you too, Daddy. That's why I was calling… I was wondering if you'd come over this weekend. Jake and I are painting the apartment, and could use some help." She explained.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world. I can be there first thing. I'll even bring breakfast." I smiled into the phone.

"Thanks, Daddy, I love you."

"I love you too. See you in the morning."

I hung up and smiled to myself as I realized I now had the freedom to make spontaneous plans. This was something new for me, but was rather enjoyable.

Saturday morning I knocked on my daughter's door promptly at 8 o'clock in the morning, a box of pastries and three cups of coffee in hand. 'Nes answered the door wearing a flannel shirt and jeans, hair pulled back into a pony-tail, and looking as beautiful as ever. She placed a kiss on my cheek as I put my arm around her.

Jacob was climbing down a ladder in the living room. "I've been taping the trim so we can get ready to paint. Thank you for coming to help, Mr. Cullen. We really appreciate it."

"Please, call me Edward." I offered, glancing around the room. "What colors are you using?" I asked, looking over the cans of paint stacked on the drop-cloth.

"I picked a sand color for the walls and a dark plum trim." She smiled at me; _her eyes looked so much like her mother's that it made my heart ache._ "I wanted colors that reminded me of the sunset at home."

"I wasn't so sure about that purple shade at first. But I want whatever makes Nessie happy" Jacob explained.

I chuckled and stared at him. "_Nessie_?"

"It's my nickname for her, and she likes it," he smiled adoringly at her.

"Mom didn't like it, though." She interjected hesitantly.

I laughed again. "I'll bet she didn't."

The entire morning we painted together, stopping only to refill the paint trays or remove the tape to work on the trim. I was thoroughly enjoying spending the day with the two of them, and especially getting to know Jacob.

"I'm going to get us some cold drinks." Renesmee walked into the kitchen, leaving me alone for a few minutes to talk to Jacob.

"What is your home like, Jacob?" I inquired. I was curious about Native American life.

He started to explain about how his life was growing up on the reservation as we both climbed ladders on opposite side of the window on one wall, cutting in the edge of the trim on either side. Renesmee walked in with a tray of iced tea just as their doorbell rang.

"I hope the neighbors aren't annoyed with the paint fumes." She set the tray down on the floor and ran to answer the door.

**_Bella's POV_**

Alice had been worried about me since my split with Edward and asked me to meet her at her art studio Saturday morning. We agreed to spend the morning shopping and afterwards going out to lunch.

"No cell phones," She warned me with a scowl. "Every time we spend the day together you keep your phone out the whole time, just waiting for a message from Edward. Promise me today it'll just be us!"

I laughed at her, taking my phone out and shutting it off. "I promise. Edward and I separated weeks ago, Alice. I don't look for calls or messages from him anymore." I explained to my oldest and closest friend about how I had filed for divorce earlier in the week.

Alice had been married for 22 years to a retired army officer. She had met her husband, Jasper, while she was studying art in Italy after high school. He had been working on the army base there and they had fallen in love immediately. Jasper had grown up in Texas and had an alluring southern drawl, which Alice always said attracted her immediately.

Their first 20 years of their marriage, they were transferred all over the world, and when he retired last year, he agreed to settle in Seattle, so she would be close to her family. He was currently working as a recruiter and she had a small art studio where she specialized in pen and ink drawings. She had a rather eclectic clientele and was able to earn enough to keep her dressed in designer fashions.

We headed into the mall near her studio and spent the day laughing lightheartedly while we shopped. Alice spent more than I earned in a month, and I purchased a few new pieces of clothing for work. Our last stop of the afternoon was a small boutique.

"Alice, come look at this!" I stared at the display in front of me.

She skipped up beside me and admired the piece. "Oh my gosh! That's a dream catcher, handmade from stained glass! It's beautiful!" She commented.

"Yeah it is. I just helped 'Nes pick out paint for her and Jake's new apartment and this would look incredible in their front window!"

She talked me into buying it for them and having it gift wrapped. I hugged Alice goodbye when we arrived at her car and we made a promise to play a girls day out once a month. After she drove away in her car, I decided I would pick up dinner for 'Nes and Jake and deliver their gift before heading out of the city. I stopped at the market and bought steak and lobster tails and managed to make it to their apartment by 2:00 p.m.

The stairs to their second story apartment were steep and narrow. I managed to successfully maneuver my way to their door, arms laden with a two shopping bags and my purse. I pressed the doorbell with one finger and waited.

Renesmee answered the door, covered in spattered paint, but a wide smile on her face. "Hi, Mom. What are you doing here?"

"I was shopping in the city with Alice and found a housewarming gift for you and Jake. Since I knew you'd be painting today, also brought you dinner. I hope that's okay…"

She reached to take the grocery bag from my hands. "Of course it's okay. Umm, come on in. I'll think you'll be surprised by the way the living room looks." She smiled a sideways smile, just like her father and I had bite my tongue to keep from commenting.

We walked from the foyer into the kitchen as she put the food in the fridge. She poured me a glass of iced tea and handed it to me, taking the gift-wrapped box from my hands. "Jake!" She called loudly. "Mom is here and she brought us a housewarming present."

I followed her into the living room and immediately stopped in my tracks. There stood Edward, up on a ladder, painting the woodwork around the window. He was wearing faded blue jeans that flattered his sexy rear end, and just looking at him made me want to do unmentionable things to his body. I turned my eyes away and scowled at our daughter. She shrugged slightly and handed both Jake and her father a glass of iced tea.

"Why don't you two take a break? Jake, come down and open our gift?" They both put their brushes into the paint cans and stepped down their ladders.

Edward took a long sip of tea before acknowledging me. "Bella," he nodded casually, only making brief eye contact.

"Good to see you, Edward." I answered politely.

It had been less than a week since I told him I'd filed for divorce and this unexpected meeting felt uncomfortable. Obviously it was too soon for me, as I'm sure it also was for him.

I shuffled my feet nervously as Jake reached for me, giving me a casual hug. "We'll have to sit in the kitchen. All of our furniture is rearranged until we finish painting." The four of us sat at the kitchen table, sipping our drinks while Renesmee and Jake opened their gift.

"Oh, Mom! This is perfect! Thank you." She leaned over and gave me a hug and kiss.

"Thank you, Mrs. Cullen." Jake began and then smiled awkwardly.

"You're welcome, Jake, but please call me Bella." He nodded in agreement and I explained about the boutique where I bought it. "If you don't like it, I won't be offended if you'd rather exchange it for something else…"

"You couldn't have picked out anything more perfect. Dream catchers are part of Jake's culture and the colors match my obsession with the beach and sunset."

"Well, I'm glad you both like it. Listen, I brought enough dinner for three, so please enjoy your evening together as my treat. I'll come back and see the room when you're finished." I stood up to leave when Edward finally spoke up.

"Bella, don't leave on my account. I'm only here to help with the painting. Why don't you all enjoy your dinner together and I'll come back and finish the painting tomorrow?"

Renesmee clucked her tongue in annoyance. "Can't we all have dinner together?"

"'Nes, I've been here all day. It's your Mom's turn to spend time with you. She went to all the trouble to plan a special evening with you and Jake and I don't want to intrude," he reasoned.

Renesmee cast a brief, pleading glance at me and I understood that she wanted me to _invite_ him to stay.

"Edward, I'd be pleased for you to join us for dinner." I smiled genuinely at him and out of the corner of my eye, I saw our daughter relax in relief.

He seemed to ponder my words for a moment before answering. "I'd like that, thank you Bella. Let me go get cleaned up first. Then maybe Jake and I will run down to the corner store and pick up something to go with dinner?" He offered.

I nodded. "Maybe salad and bread?" He agreed and went to wash up while Renesmee and I organized the kitchen to start dinner.

"Thank you for inviting Dad." She handed me a stack of plates from the dishwasher to put in the cupboard.

"Your father and I aren't enemies, 'Nes."

"I know that, Mom. It's just hard for me to see you apart. I love you both so much…" Her voice cracked with emotion and I turned to look at the hurt in her eyes.

I pulled her into my arms for a hug. "Baby, everything is going to be fine. Please don't let our issues upset you. You should be concentrating on your relationship with Jake now…"

"Nessie, your dad and I are leaving for the store. Do you want me to …" Jake stopped his sentence mid-stream_. "Is everything okay?"_ He asked, his eyes narrow with concern.

I shrugged. "We're just having a mother-daughter moment." 'Nes laughed and handed him a shopping list that was attached to the fridge.

Jake gave her a kiss before walking out the door with Edward while Renesmee and I continued working in the kitchen.

**xoxo**

Dinner was casual and relaxing. We regaled Jake with tales of Renesmee's childhood as he laughed, wanting to know more about what she was like growing up.

"You had your parents wrapped around your finger," he teased.

She rolled her eyes in mock surprise. "I think it took me until about age four to realize that!" She laughed. "There was this one time I begged to spend the weekend with Coach… _Remember, Mom?_"

I nodded. _Of course I remembered!_

"So Mom and Dad met Coach half way between our house and Forks and he drove me back to his house for what was supposed to be the weekend. By bedtime the first night I called them crying that I was homesick, so they drove back to pick me up."

"That's almost a four hour trip!" Jake exclaimed.

"Yes but they did it anyway. _Because they love me!"_ She gushed.

"By the way, why do you call your grandfather Coach?"

"That's my fault," Edward admitted with a chuckle. "It's because before I started dating Bella, we were hanging out at her house and Coach told me _Edward, here at my house, you can call me Charlie, okay?_ And trying to be funny I told him, _whatever you say, Coach! _From then on the name just stuck. I've always called him that and when 'Nes was old enough to talk she started copying me and called him that too."

"Funny thing is, I don't even remember that conversation between my dad and Edward." I explained.

Edward smiled at me and raised his eyebrows, "That's because you were asleep."

I smiled and blushed. "You always say that, I don't even know when that could have happened."

"That's between me and Coach." Edward smiled again and I quickly turned my face away, realizing how much he still affected me.

"The really funny thing is it was Coach who nicknamed me 'Nes. He says he did it to annoy Dad but it really bothered Mom more."

We both agreed with what Renesmee was saying and continued to talk more about our families. Jake told us about how he grew up with only his Dad and two sisters after his mom died. I glanced at Edward a few times during the meal and admired him so much for being able to sit here and have a meal at the same table with me, only a few days after I had asked him for a divorce. He was strong, still so handsome and I really admired this man. Who was still my _husband_.

**_Edward's POV_**

I was surprised everyone else in the room couldn't see my heart leaping out of my chest when Bella walked into the room. I could only casually glance at her because she was so beautiful it made me long to hold her. The past few days had been the most painful of my life, and I still wanted her desperately.

When we finally sat down to dinner, it was an unexpectedly comfortable and enjoyable meal. Bella and I sat across from each other with 'Nes and Jake in between us. It couldn't have been any more difficult if they had sat us beside each other. Because clearly, having her gorgeous face directly across from me wasn't easy. I wondered if it was difficult for her as well.

When 'Nes brought up that weekend visit to Coach's house I chuckled inwardly at the memory. That weekend had been planned well in advance and our daughter had no idea how difficult it was for us to choose to travel that distance to pick her up, instead of going ahead with our original plan.

I remember walking into our apartment that night, after having just traveled the two hours there and back again to meet Coach.

_Bella put her arms around me and kissed me seductively. "Take the phone off the hook," She begged, pulling her lips away from mine._

"_Bella, we can't do that. What if Coach needs us for something?" I justified. _

_She sighed and reluctantly agreed. "Let me go get changed. Give me five minutes, okay?" She teased, whispered seductively, standing up on her tip-toes to kiss my lips. _

"_Mmm," I moaned in agreement. The minute she was out of sight, I rushed into the bathroom and brushed me teeth, anxious to get the evening started. This was our first weekend alone in four years and we were both more than ready. I heard Bella's voice call me from our bedroom and I cleared my throat, realizing I was slightly nervous about this. _

_I walked into the room, and found she had candles lit all around, with soft music playing. I turned my head and saw my beautiful wife standing beside. She was wearing a deep blue silk negligee with matching panties. The bottom part of the nightgown barely covered her cute behind. "Wow, Bella. You look amazing." _

"_Thank you," she sighed as I took her into my arms and kissed her passionately._

"_I love this nightgown…" I moved my lips to kiss her shoulder. _

_She giggled, "It's called a baby-doll." _

_I picked her up and wrapped my arms around her tighter, as she opened her mouth, allowing my tongue to explore her mouth. She tasted so sweet and delicious. I slid my hands into her soft hair and guided her to the bed. _

"_I love you, Edward." She sighed deeply into my mouth. _

"_I love you," I told her, before sliding my hands up her thighs and stopping at the edge of her panties. I looked down at her seductively before slipping my fingers underneath the elastic and sliding them down over her legs. _

_She wrapped her legs around behind me and hooked them together at the ankles, pulling me even closer to her warm center. _

_I chuckled into her bare shoulder. "You'll have to loosen your grip for a second so I can take my jeans off." _

_I stood up and removed my jeans, followed by my boxers and shirt. I looked down at her as she lay there in front of me and realized I wasn't going to be able to wait much longer to make love to her. _

_Bella and I already made love every chance we had but having this time alone, without our daughter here, was a much needed change in routine. I was looking forward to taking my time with her tonight. I had dreamed all day of having my way with her, without interruptions. _

"_Honey, I don't want to wait, please take me now." She sat up slightly and propped up on her forearms. She looked at me quizzically and I smiled back at her. _

"_I was just thinking the same thing." _

_I knelt down on the bed in front of her and lifted her baby-doll over her head; she helped by raising her arms up. I tossed the blue silk aside and ran my hands down her sides, ending at her hips._

_As I lifted myself over her and started to slide in to her heat I heard her gasp a strangled sound of pleasure. I kept my movements as slow as possible at first, before starting to pump in and out faster. Her desire increased, which was demonstrated by the speed of her writhing below me. Her moist and heated center began to spasm and I knew she was ready. _

"_Bella, hold on a few more seconds. Let me catch up?" I begged._

_She nodded and I grasped her hips harder and thrust deeper, hitting the full depth of her until she cried out in pleasure. The second her climax began, I moved my mouth to kiss her throat, caught up in the intensity of feeling her grip me with her strong pelvic muscles. The waves of pleasure hit her hardest just as my release began. And the phone rang…_

"Daddy!" Renesmee's voice startled me out of my dream.

I shook my head, realizing I had been daydreaming. "Sorry, honey. What was your question?"

"I asked you if you would help us choose paint for the kitchen next." She eyed me suspiciously. I wondered briefly if she could have possibly perceived what I had been fantasizing about.

I listened intently now to what my daughter was saying about her ideas for the kitchen, as I glanced at Bella in the seat across from me. She was wearing an incredibly adorable blush and I realized she must have been remembering the same thing I had been.

_Hmm, was that a flash of desire in her eyes?_

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: _I hope you enjoyed the update. Bella realizes she still has feelings for Edward but those feelings aren't enough to change her mind...at least not yet. Will she forgive him sooner, or later? What's your guess.**

**Review and I'll send you a teaser of the next chapter ... which will be their first time making love! Looking forward to reviews. TTYL~D**


	8. Chapter 6

**Hello my wonderful readers! It's Saturday morning and I'm up early, all by myself with just a cup of coffee and my computer. It's quiet and peaceful and I wanted to take the time to send out this chapter. By the way, it's a long one...the longest yet!**

**_You'll find some sadness, comfort and a juicy lemon at the end. There's your warning! Enjoy..._**

* * *

><p><strong>Present Day…Suburbs of Forks, WA<strong>

**Edward's POV**

I was spending the day in the city with Mom, looking at tile and paint for Dad's office renovation. I took her out to lunch and then stopped by a home improvement store so she could get some ideas and samples. She was undecided about a particular type of flooring and the sales person offered to get a manager to help answer her questions.

As I stood next to her and looked through a book of swatches the department manager walked up in his apron to help mom. "Hello, Ma'am. My name is Michael. How can I help you?" He inquired.

Mom was showing him the various tiles she was interested in and asking questions while I casually browsed through the book of swatches, trying to see if I could get any ideas for 'Nes and Jake's kitchen.

"Excuse me, but I think I know you," he tipped his head sideways and looked at me. "I'm Michael Newton. We graduated from Forks High together, I think. You're Edward Cullen right?"

I observed him while he was speaking. His hair was darker than it used to be, with a little gray around the hairline. _What hairline there was … _he was actually very nearly bald on the top of his head. He had a paunch that hung over his beltline which was obvious, even with the apron he wore.

I smiled and extended my hand to him, "Yes. You're right. How have you been?" I asked politely.

He smiled back at me as he shook my hand. "Good, I've been working here for about a year now. I was in the Army for twenty years before I retired. Do you live nearby?" He was friendlier than I would have expected. Not at all the arrogant kid I remembered.

"Yes, we have a home in Renton…" I trailed off, not wanting to explain the recent change in events in my relationship. He, however, didn't stop questioning.

"You married Bella Swan, didn't you?"

I nodded. "Yes, we've been married twenty-three years now."

"If I remember correctly… you had a baby. Right after graduation …?" _I was beginning to realize that even though he seemed polite his questions were taking a very pointed direction._

My mom finally spoke up. "Yes, my granddaughter, Renesmee." She took a picture out of her wallet to show him.

"Oh, she's beautiful. Congratulations, you must be very proud."

"Do you have children?" I asked.

"Yes, I have a son who is seventeen and a twelve-year-old daughter. They live in Germany with their mother. I got a divorce a few years back." He explained. "I get to spend summers with my kids every year, which is great. I miss them when they're not here though."

He continued to show mom the various products she was interested in and finally handed her his business card. "I do some home improvement work as a side business, so if you have other questions, I'd be happy to help." He handed another business card to me. "If you are ever interested, I'd love to catch up with you … and Bella. It was nice catching up with you."

We thanked him for his help and left the store. Mom was not-so-subtly rolling her eyes at my avoidance of my separation with Bella. I felt her looking at me but didn't take the bait. I was not interested in talking to her about that particular wound. It was too fresh.

When Mom and I arrived back at the house, she began using her laptop to research prices for paint, tiles and fabrics at several stores. I politely looked over her shoulder and gave her my input before excusing myself to look over some blueprints for work. I sat at my desk and began working.

It was almost a half hour later when I heard Mom's voice in the hall outside my room. "Edward, dear?"

"Yeah, Mom?"

She cleared her throat and looked at me from the doorway. "You need to come out, someone is here for you."

I looked up at her and saw her shocked expression. I realized immediately that someone must be here with the divorce papers. Without another word I walked out of my room, leaving the door open and my mother standing there.

Sure enough, there was a uniformed officer standing in the foyer. I approached with some trepidation and furrowed my brows waiting for him to speak. "Edward Cullen?"

"Yes," I answered, my voice was unsteady.

"I'm here to deliver official documents, sir." He handed them to me and nodded agreeably before turning and walking out the front door. I glared at the envelope and clenched my jaw together in resentment.

_Bella had actually done it_.

She filed for divorce and the papers to prove it were in this ordinary white envelope in my hand. Even though I shouldn't have been surprised, it still seemed surreal to me. Mom approached me carefully before placing her hand on my shoulder. I stiffened away from her touch and heard her begin to apologize before retreating to my room and closing the door soundly.

_**Bella's POV**_

I had just finished tutoring a student and was filling out paperwork for the scheduling office when there was a knock on the door of my cubicle. I opened it to find one of the math tutors, Lee Stephens waiting.

"Good afternoon, Isabella. I came to drop off these parent surveys for Professor Mallory. She seemed to indicate the results were outstanding. He smiled as he handed me the manila folder.

"Thank you for bringing them by, Lee. I received so many of the surveys back from my students, but Professor Mallory told me that that type of response could mean people either really liked my teaching style, or just the opposite. I'm thankful she said they were positive."

My cell phone rang in my handbag and I smiled hesitantly at Lee. "See you later." He went out and I rummaged through my bag, not finding my phone until it had stopped ringing. I sighed deeply, deciding I'd wait to see if there would be a voice message.

In the meantime I went back to the paperwork in front of me. Once I had completed my work, I gathered everything together and dropped it by the receptionist's desk on my way out the door for the day. I arrived home and put my bags down by the door, like usual. The house was chilly; I shivered and walked to the thermostat, turning it up a few notches. The stairs seemed oddly steep tonight as I made my way up to change into something more comfortable.

Afterwards I walked into my office and looked at my appointment calendar to plan out the rest of my week. Suddenly my head turned in surprise. Today was marked in red. I gasped out loud when I remembered the significance of that red writing. How could I have forgotten what was happening today? My memory turned to the phone call I received an hour ago. _Could it have been Edward?_

As fast as my feet could carry me, I ran down the stairs to retrieve my bag. I pulled out my phone … four missed calls. I flipped the phone opened, all four were from Renesmee. With shaking hands I called her back.

"Hi, Mom." She answered quickly.

"'Nes, are you alright?" I blurted out.

"Of course I'm alright. Didn't you get my messages?"

I felt myself flush in embarrassment. "Uh, no I didn't even listen to them. When I saw there were four calls from you, I called you back right away."

"Well I'm fine, I was only calling to see if you were okay…I talked to Grandma earlier and she told me that Daddy got the …" I heard her swallow through the receiver. "… Divorce papers today. I was worried about both of you." I heard concern in her voice and longed to ease her mind.

"Renesmee, I am fine. You know it was me who filed for divorce in the first place. Why would you worry about me…?" _Keep talking Bella; maybe you'll be able to convince yourself you're okay!_

"Mom I know it had to be difficult for you. I just want you to know I love you, no matter what."

"I love you too, baby. Thank you for your kind words, but I'm fine." I hesitated, not wanting to seem overly anxious. "What exactly did Grandma say when she called, by the way?"

"Uhm, she said that Daddy had gotten the papers today and he went in his room and hadn't come out since."

I gasped quietly, but knew my daughter could hear me. "That's to be expected, honey. He didn't want this. Grandma didn't say anything else?" I prompted.

I heard her huff impatiently. "Listen, Mom, why don't you call Grandma and ask yourself? Or better yet…why not call Dad?"

"You know I can't do that Renesmee," I announced firmly.

"Well there's always hope. I'm going to call Daddy and then head to bed. I have an early class in the morning. I love you, Mom."

I bade my daughter goodnight and walked out to turn the oven off. There was no point in cooking now. I would never be able to eat with my stomach tied into knots like it was. I had to admit that Renesmee was onto something when she suggested I call Esme, or I shuddered to think…Edward. I really was worried about him. I looked at the clock. 8 p.m. It wasn't too late to call. Maybe I should just make a quick call, out of courtesy.

I dialed my in-law's home phone and waited anxiously as it rang three times. "Hello." I heard my father-in-law say.

"Hello, Carlisle. It's me… Bella. How are you this evening?" My voice was shaky and I took a deep breath to steady it before he responded.

"Hello, Isabella." He sounded so formal, and he almost never called me _Isabella_.

"I wanted to check in, and make sure…_everyone_… was alright there tonight. I was concerned."

"I'm not sure why you'd be concerned." His voice dripped with sarcasm. I readied myself for an earful. "Esme and I are simply trying to put the pieces of our son back together after the devastation of this afternoon. _Please don't concern yourself while our family falls apart!"_

"_Carlisle, please_! I'm sorry my actions have caused you and Esme pain. This is between me and Edward. I don't want either of you to have anxiety over it. I love you both …"

"You're sorry to have caused Esme and me pain? _What does that mean for Edward's feelings, Isabella?_ Are you not sorry for what he's going through as well? You've been part of this family for long enough that you should know we share in joys and sorrows. If you were so concerned for our feelings you wouldn't be doing this to our son!" He was not shouting but he may as well have been.

I felt like a child who had just been scolded by her parent. Tears came to my eyes as I spoke to the man who had for years been a second father to me. "I do care, and I love … _all of you. _Please forgive me and know you can call me anytime. I'm so sorry…" My voice trailed off to a whisper.

"Good night Isabella." He answered curtly.

Our call ended abruptly and I cried for a long time afterwards. The hurt I felt all those nights when I used to wait up for Edward seemed minor compared to the pain I had felt since our separation. I wondered if I was making the wrong decision.

I was going to have to to pull myself together if I was going to pull through this. Alice would help put this into perspective for me, I decided. I would call her tomorrow; maybe we could meet for coffee. I curled up on the couch and turned the TV to the news. I pulled the cotton throw up under my chin and before I knew it, my eyelids were getting heavy. I was too exhausted to move as I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

_**Edward's POV**_

Something inside of me was heavy, cumbersome, and immovable. I tried to lift my head from the pillow but it was a struggle. I realized this burden inside of my chest was my heart, heavy with pain of losing Bella. My eyes felt swollen from the tears I had shed last night. I ran my hand along my face and finally was able to sit up in bed. My feet moved slowly along the carpet as I made my way into the bathroom.

I started the shower and climbed in, letting the stream of water run over my face, soothing my aching eyes. I scrubbed shampoo through my hair and washed my body vigorously, trying to rid myself of this unhappiness. I considered the choices in front of me: I could allow this hole of depression to engulf me or I could try to stay strong and move on with my life. Even though it would have been easy to stay in bed all day long, I realized I couldn't do that.

I would always love Bella, of course. But my life did exist outside of our marriage. She would haunt my thoughts and be a constant presence in my heart, but that didn't change who I was. I was still an intelligent man with a promising career, a beautiful and kind hearted daughter, and two parents who loved and supported me unconditionally.

I stepped out of the shower with a new resolve in place. No matter how worthless it seemed at first, I had to move on with my life without Bella by my side. She wasn't going to change her mind, and that was okay. I would accept her decision and my life would go on … without her.

Looking into the mirror, I debated the form in front of me. I was in terrific shape for my age. I worked out faithfully; I ate right, didn't smoke, and only drank occasionally. I had always prided myself on my active, healthy lifestyle. The full gym in my parents' basement hadn't been used often since I married Bella but it was still there. I made a mental note to update the equipment and begin utilizing that space. There had always been a gym at the office and now that I had changed jobs, I definitely needed to get back into a workout routine.

As I walked into the bedroom I evaluated the clothes in my closet. I had more than what I would ever need, but felt like updating my wardrobe nonetheless. I dressed in a pair of jeans and dark sweater before picking up the phone to call my daughter.

Realizing she was in class at the moment, I left her a message. "Hi 'Nes. How'd you like to come with me to do some shopping today? I need some new clothes. Call me when you get this, I love you."

I hung up and walked down the hall to breakfast, wanting to discuss my newfound determination with my parents.

**Bella's POV**

By morning I was still emotional and confused. After my coffee date with Alice, that hadn't changed. I shared my feelings with my dearest friend in hopes of some her providing me with usable advice. That didn't work out as I had hoped.

She shook her head in confusion, "Bella, it sounds to me like you still love Edward."

"_I do, Alice_. That's what makes this so hard. I feel like he didn't care enough to put 'Nes and me before his work and I simply couldn't live with that anymore. That's why I'm divorcing him. I can't take the fact that he didn't care enough to put us first. I can't forget that I've lived through years of that!"

"I don't think you will ever forget that, but my question is, can you _forgive_ him for it?"

"Why on Earth would I forgive him for causing me years of pain and neglect?"

"Because… _you love him?_"

That wasn't at all what I wanted to hear from Alice! "What if I started dating? I think that might me the answer. You know…get my mind off of the past. What do you think?"

"_Honestly_?" She asked as I nodded eagerly waiting for her to show some friendly support for my idea. "That would be a mistake. The answer is looking you right in the face, Bells. Your emotions are too raw to see it now, but it's there. You _need Edward_ in your life."

I huffed disgustedly, "He's still in my life, unfortunately." I explained the day three weeks ago when we had dinner at 'Nes and Jakes apartment.

Her bright eyes laughed as I talked. "You really aren't listening to yourself! The way you talk is so obvious. You're crazy about him and you always have been. Listen, I have to get back to the studio. Call me later." She pulled me into a hug and added, "I love you and I'll be here for you no matter what you decide."

As soon as I left the coffee shop I realized I needed to see my daughter. Their apartment was only a few blocks away and I could walk there easily. I picked up my bag, paid the check and strode off up the street. In less than ten minutes I arrived at their building and noticed Jacob climbing the stairs in front of me.

He turned and smiled, "What a nice surprise, Mrs. Cullen. What brings you this way?"

"Bella, please," I gently corrected. "I was in the neighborhood and wanted to see Renesmee."

"She's not home right now but you're welcome to come in." He unlocked and opened the door. "Would you like a cup of coffee? I don't know when she'll be home, let me call her."

I accepted his invitation and sat at their kitchen table while he made a pot of coffee and dialed my daughter. "Hey, Nessie! Are you having fun?" She obviously responded in the affirmative and he laughed into the phone. "Well your mom is here and we wondered how much longer you'd be out." He paused, listening to her answer. "Okay, I'll tell her. I love you. Bye"

"When I talked to her last night she said she had an early class this morning."

He nodded, "she did but after class she had a message from her dad. He invited her to go shopping."

"_Edward invited her shopping?"_ I could hardly believe it.

Jake chuckled, "Yeah apparently he needed her help picking out some new clothes." He shrugged and continued. "Anyway, she's on her way home now. Edward's with her, though. Just in case that makes a difference to you…"

_Damn! That was just my luck. _"I really want to see 'Nes but I definitely don't think I should be here when Edward is. Maybe I'll just go and come back another time."

"That's up to you." He poured us each coffee and sat to join me at the table.

_**Edward's POV**_

Renesmee slid her phone into her pocket and smiled widely. Her eyebrows were raised as she looked at me from the passenger seat. "That was Jake. He called to tell me that Mom stopped by the apartment a few minutes ago." She took a breath and added, "She's still there. You might want to change plans."

I locked my eyes forward and bit back a sarcastic remark. "I see no reason to change our plans, unless you want to, that is."

"I'd love nothing more than to talk about planning Grandpa's birthday party…just the four of us."

I smirked sideways at her. "Don't get your hopes up 'Nes. Are you forgetting that your mother had me served with divorce papers? Just yesterday?" I raised my eyebrows at my grown daughter and hoped she would understand that it was probably way too soon for Bella and me to be in the same room. "Your mom probably won't want to have a chat about a family get-together, honey. But I'll tell you what, if we get there and it's the least bit awkward, I'll leave and call you later to discuss it."

"Thanks Daddy. I know yesterday must have been awful for you…" Tears glistened in her eyes and my heart broke.

I pulled the car over and pulled her into a hug. "Shh. Please don't cry 'Nes." I kissed the top of her head. "I'm doing much better now. It's going to get easier for all of us." I promised.

She sniffled and showed me a watery smile. "I had so many dreams for my future, Daddy. I've always imagined bringing my babies to visit you and Mom … together…at home." Her voice cracked.

"Is that what you're worried about? Someday…long in the future…when you have children?" I teased, wide eyed.

"Kinda," she shrugged.

"That's always going to be home, 'Nes. We're not selling the house."

"But what if…"

I put my finger to her lips and silenced her. "Enough, let's get you home to your boyfriend," I teased.

I parked on the street across from their apartment and lifted her three bags from my trunk. "Wow, Daddy. You sure bought a lot, the truck is still full."

We walked up the stairs and into the apartment. The smell of fresh coffee wafted through the air as Jake walked around the corner, grabbing 'Nes up into his arms. "Are you hungry? Your mom and I were just thinking about thinking about ordering take out."

"I'm not hungry. Daddy and I stopped at some greasy burger place for lunch."

"You liked it and you know it," I smiled at her and shook Jake's hand in greeting. I handed the bags to him.

"I thought you were shopping for your Dad." He questioned, looking at the bags in his hand.

"I couldn't resist buying a few things for myself. I bought some for you too. " Her face lit up when he looked at her. They both glowed as their eyes met.

My heart felt a pang of guilt…her mother used to look at me like that.

We went into the kitchen where Bella sat, sipping coffee. I hesitated in the doorway, not wanting to move further and make the situation uncomfortable. She turned and smiled at 'Nes, giving her a kiss and hug. "Hi Baby. I should have called first; I didn't know you'd be out." She glanced casually at me over her shoulder, "I'm sorry if I cut your shopping trip short, Edward."

I forced a smile and continued into the kitchen, taking a steaming mug from Jacob's hand. "It's fine, we were finished anyway. 'Nes and I spent most of the day together."

Bella eyed me skeptically. "You took the whole day off to shop?"

"No. I had the whole day off." I corrected, realizing her line of questioning. "I only work when I want to now."

Renesmee changed the subject to avoid any potential conflict. "Daddy and I were talking about planning a big birthday party for Grandpa. Will you help us?"

Bella sucked an awkward breath through her teeth. "I don't think that's a good idea, Nes… "

Our daughter cut her off. "Why not? We do it every year!"

She raised her eyebrows, "Because the last time I spoke to Carlisle, he was very upset with me," She shifted her gaze between Renesmee and me.

I noticed her bite on her lower lip nervously. God, even when she was anxious she was so beautiful! "When did you talk to my dad?" I questioned.

She turned in her seat to look straight in my eyes. "Last night…"

I nodded, not wanting to push the conversation into more awkward territory. "Why don't we talk about it on the phone later, 'Nes. I need to head home. It's going to take me all night to put away all of the clothes we bought today. I'll be here early in the morning to help Jake start sanding the cupboards."

As I hugged our daughter goodbye I felt Bella's eyes on me. I glanced over my shoulder at her. She smiled sadly and I flashed a sideways smile in her direction. "Bye Bella." I swear I felt her stare until I walked out the door.

Later that night as I lay in bed I thought about Bella…the way her hair fell across her shoulders; the way her lips skimmed the coffee cup she drank from; the way her hands rested on the table as we talked. God I missed her so much!

There were so many memories between the two of us but tonight I dwelled on the one night that changed my whole life…

**_1987 Forks Washington_**

**_Edward's POV_**

_It was late fall and an unusually warm night for Forks. Bella and I had been dating for a couple of months and like most weekend evenings, we were spending time together. She had asked to borrow her father's Mustang convertible for the evening. She said he didn't blink an eye when she asked; he simply handed her over the keys. _

_She picked me up wearing a cute denim mini skirt, jean jacket and a white mesh shirt over the top of a black tube top. She explained that Alice had dressed her again and I thanked my lucky stars that Alice's taste in clothes left little to the imagination. _

_She drove along, and I gave her directions. "Pull over here," I told her as we approached the end of the dirt road we were on._

_She smiled flirtatiously at me. "You want me to drive into that tall grass?" I nodded and she complied. Once we got through the tall grass, the trees opened up to a clearing. We got out of the car and put the top down and sat back in the car._

"_Wow, Edward this is beautiful." _

"_Just like you." I whispered in her ear. The night wind gentle, and the sky was clear and full of stars. The moon shone down on her skin, making it shimmer._

"_You're so beautiful, Bella." I slid my fingers along the collar of her jacket, skimming that same sexy shoulder I was nervous to touch on our last date._

"_That feels so good," She sighed and slid the jacket off and tossed it in the back seat. She turned and kissed me without restraint. _

"_Mmm, that feels good too! You're making me crazy, Bella." To distract me I clicked the radio on. Eric Carmen's Make Me Lose Control was playing…_

"…_**Jennifer's got her Daddy's car…**_

…_**We go cruisin' so close the way they did long ago…"**_

_I leaned over to her in the driver's seat and started kissing her wet mouth. She immediately grabbed my shirt and pulled me closer to her. Before long, my hands were under her shirt, kneading her incredible breasts. I ran my hands over the top of her nipples, making them harden under my touch. She whimpered in response and I hardened in my pants._

"…_**My Darlin'…**_

…_**Turn the radio up for that sweet sound…"**_

_Her hands moved to unzip my jeans and I didn't stop her this time. She pulled my length out and gripped me with her warm hands. I groaned at the feeling she was giving me and gasped in surprise when she reached her hands up and pulled her shirts and bra off. She was sitting there in front of me; topless._

_It was the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen. I bent my neck forward and took one of her tight nipples into my mouth and sucked her gently._

"…_**Hold me close never let me go…**_

…_**Keep this feelin' alive…"**_

_Her whimpers became moans and I boldly slid my hands under her skirt, needing to feel the heat of her. I stroked my fingers up and down the middle of her underwear. _

"_Edwaaaard!" She screamed just seconds before I slid her underwear aside and dipped my fingers into her wetness._

"_Bella, Oh my God you're so hot." _

_Her hands were stroking my hard-on and I could barely control myself. I had to pull her hand away… "Stop, or I'm gonna come." I gasped in between sucking her hard nipples and kissing her wet lips. _

_She slid the car seat all the way back and reclined her seat the whole way. "Take your jeans off, Edward." She smirked sideways at me and slid her underwear from underneath her skirt._

_I arched my back in the passenger seat, sliding my jeans and underwear off before I noticed the amazing sight beside me…Bella, completely naked. Apparently I missed her removing her skirt while I was concentrating on my own clothes._

"_C'mere" she beckoned, bending her index finger. She was leaning back and I could see her whole naked body in the moonlight. _

"_**Baby, Baby! When I look in your eyes, I go crazy…**_

…_**Fever's high with the lights down low…"**_

_I wasn't sure if it was a good idea or not. But she was making me forget everything else except her having her gorgeous nakedness next to me. I rested my forearms on the seat beside her head and bent my head to kiss her. Her fingers worked the buttons __on my shirt and she slid it off me leaving my bare chest flush with hers. _

"_Bella, I don't want to take your virginity in a car…" _

_She smiled wickedly at me. "What if I don't care? What if I want to give you my virginity in a car? What if I want to take your virginity right now?" Her hand ran over my hard-on a few more times making me dizzy with desire. _

"_**We put the top down and park, 'neath the moon in the sky…**_

…_**and the wind is so hot in our hair, like the fire in July…"**_

_I reached my fingers down again to touch her inside, staving off the desire to push myself into her. She rolled her hips around and I slipped my finger out and began to rub her sensitive bud until she was screeching my name. _

"…_**Was love always this good, or could this be just the start?...**_

…_**Turn the radio up for that sweet sound... **_

…_**Hold me close never let me go…"**_

"_I can't take this anymore, Edward. Make love to me? Please?" She was begging... _

_What could I do now? "Bella, I don't have protection."_

"_I don't care; I want you inside me now." She bent her knees, placing her feet on the dashboard and spreading herself wide open. What a sight that was!_

"_I don't want to hurt you…" I countered. _

"_You could never hurt me." She pushed her lips to mine. I realized there was no point in arguing with her. I wanted her too badly. _

_I lined my length up with her entrance. I started to push inside a little at a time and felt her body tense. I lifted her hips with my hands to line her up better. "Are you ready?" I breathed. _

"_Uh huh." She looked directly into my eyes as I pushed firmly and felt her soft skin tearing against me. She gasped and I stroked her face with my hands. _

_My heart broke seeing her face wince in pain. "I'm sorry, Bella." _

"_Edward…it still feels good to me. It's unbelievable." I hesitated for a few seconds; waiting for her signal she was ready for more. When she began rotating her hips below me and I began sliding in and out of her…_

"…_**When my baby comes on, and we're movin' in time…**_

…_**and the heat from your touch makes me feel like I'm losing my mind…."**_

_The smooth brushing of my firmness inside her hot, tight canal was amazing. "Are you alright?" _

"_Mmhmm, perfect." She sighed and I could see from the look in her eyes that she was enjoying this as much as I was. _

_I began to pump faster, pushing the image of her face in passion out of my mind, needing to control my imminent orgasm. I knew I had to make her come first or I'd ruin this for her_

"…_**We close our eyes. We start rememberin' when…**_

… _**We start to kiss. And now the feeling's intense…**_

…_**And we just pray that this night never ends…"**_

_She started to tense again and I held her tight, kissing her lips as I pulled and pushed us together toward ecstasy._

_Bella came in a spasm that I'll never forget. She quivered and shook and gripped me inside like a vise on my erection. I held and kissed her and loved the way she felt writhing beneath me. She smiled up at me as she relaxed. _

_I whispered softly in her ear, "I just made you come, Bella. Did you like that?"_

_She blushed intensely, "Mmm, yes, very much."_

"_Awesome." I resumed pumping into her. I was going as deep into her as possible. Somewhere in the back of my mind I was concerned I was hurting her but then I was too far gone to care…_

"…_**Take me over the edge…**_

…_**Make me lose control…**_

…_**Keep this feelin' alive…**_

…_**Make me lose control…**_

_My orgasm knocked the wind out of me. I thrust deep and spilled into her with everything inside of me. I could feel the release coming from the tips of my toes. I grunted and groaned loudly in her ear as I finished my release into her softness._

_I felt like my brain had completely evacuated my body. I could only see the moonlight and Bella's sweet face below me as she watched with wonder. _

"_I've always known you were beautiful," she told me. "But look on your face as you came… was angelic." She placed soft kisses all over my face and we held onto each other until we could once again breathe normally. _

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><p><strong>AN: There was a lot going on that chapter. I love the lemons but love the angst/hurt/comfort more.**

**What is your favorite part? Let me know in a review and I'll send you a sneak peek of chapter 7 which is already complete, by the way. **

**I'd love to get more exposure to this story, so if you like it, would you consider recommending it to a friend? I have found the best fics I've read have come from recommendations right here on FFN from other authors and readers. **

**Chapter 7 should be published soon, so be on the lookout! ...TTFN**


	9. Chapter 7

**A/N: I'm sorry it has taken longer than I wanted to post this chapter. It was ready days ago but I got busy with real life. So sorry if you've been waiting, here it is...**

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 7<span>**

Present day…suburbs of Seattle, WA

_Bella's POV_

When Edward finally left 'Nes and Jake's apartment, I breathed a sigh of relief. He was far too desirable for my own good. I was practically drooling over the tight jeans and sweater he was wearing. _Get a grip, Bella. You've been married to him for 23 years, there's no reason to be acting like a teenager in heat._

On second thought, there _was_ a reason. He was incredibly sexy, and always had been. Not to mention the fact that we'd been separated for more than six weeks at this point. I hadn't made love to him in that long and I missed him…

_You're going to have to get over him eventually. _

Then I considered what Alice had told me about still loving him and I closed those thoughts out of my mind. I couldn't entertain thoughts of reconciling. I simply had to move on!

It was ridiculous to think I'd just wake up one morning and be completely over him. I had to do something to make myself heal.

_I had to start dating_.

I realized most people would think it was too soon but I felt that was my only option when it came to putting Edward out of my mind. Surely I'd be able to forget him if I found something else to occupy my time. Between my loneliness and the fact that every time I turned around I was running into him at 'Nes and Jake's apartment, my mind kept swimming with thoughts of our past.

_Oh God!_ I suddenly realized once I started dating, I'd eventually end up having sex with someone_. _My stomach turned at the thought. I had never had sex with anyone but Edward. I couldn't even imagine being intimate with another man…How would I manage that?

My mind continued to wander, and thoughts of Edward dating spilled into my brain. Suddenly a surge of jealousy tore through me. He'd never slept with anyone but me! Imagining him making love to some random stranger was even more difficult for me to grasp. My hands clenched into fists and my nails dug into my palms in frustration.

I paced through the house wondering how I would ever make it through this.

…_Several Days Later…_

_Edward's POV_

My life had started to turn around and I was feeling more confident in my ability to live without Bella. I had purchased a full set of new gym equipment and was working out most every morning before starting the day. I was less stressed and found myself happier and much more positive.

My job was progressing at a comfortable pace, and I was finding myself working about one full day per week. This was a far cry from the long hours I had been working most of my adult life. It made me realize how much time I had let slip away from me in the past and I was instantly regretful of what I had put my family through. I was now able to spend a large amount of time with Renesmee and Jake, finding the renovations to their apartment a welcome distraction to my own life.

One morning I sat at my desk and glanced over at the divorce papers sitting there. I pondered them for a few moments before picking them up. I had read through them days ago but I had tried not to think about our eminent divorce. I re-read them once again …

Bella was asking for almost nothing as far as marital property. She wanted to have the house sold and the proceeds divided equally between the two of us. That, to me, was an unfair division. I had already paid the mortgage off in full and I wanted her to have our home. I had already told her that…As far as our other assets, retirement accounts, bank accounts, and such were to go to me, as well as my vehicle and all of the contents of the home. Essentially all Bella would receive would be her share of the sale of the home, her own vehicle and her own personal belongings. _That's all she was asking for._

Earlier in the week, I had taken time to contact my father's lawyer. I asked him to draw up an amended agreement, which, in my opinion, would be a more reasonable division of our marital property. In my version, she would keep the home, and all of its contents, as well as her own vehicle and her own personal property. Our monetary assets would be divided three ways. One third I would keep and Bella and Renesmee would each be entitled to a third. The taxes on the property would have to be paid out of Bella's own accounts, but not until she felt she could assume that expense. In the meantime I would pay them. My one stipulation in giving her the home was if at any time she decided she did not wish to live there, it would immediately be transferred into Renesmee's name. In short, my wishes were for the home to remain with our family. It was my sincere belief that our daughter should receive an equal share of our assets. Especially, in the event of either Bella's or my own re-marriage. She was completely entitled to everything I owned. I made a brief call to the lawyer, finding that the new papers were ready to be picked up so without hesitation I left the house to make the most difficult decision of my life.

That afternoon I picked up the new agreement from the lawyer and then returned home to call Bella. I dialed her work number and an unfamiliar voice answered. The woman said her name was Mrs. Snow and I immediately pictured a white-haired woman, of retirement age at the receptionist's desk.

"Hello. May I please speak to Bella Cullen?"

"Please hold a moment," she answered politely. A minute later she picked up the line again. "I'm sorry, sir. Who were you trying to reach?" She sounded flustered and was obviously was new at the job.

"Bella Cullen. She is one of your tutors…" I explained.

"I'm sorry, sir. I don't see anyone with that name on my list. I apologize, I'm new here. But are you sure you have the right number?"

"I'm positive. Bella is my wife; she has worked there for several years."

""I am very sorry. Please hold just a minute more." She placed me on hold again and as I listened to the background music play I picked up my cell phone to send Bella a text message. But before I had a chance to send it, Mrs. Snow was back on the line. "I will transfer you, sir. Thank you for your patience."

The line clicked and then rang and I heard Bella's voice. "_Edward_?" She asked hesitantly.

"Hi Bella. Yes, it's me. I thought for a minute that I was going to have to call your cell. The receptionist didn't know who you were."

"Mrs. Snow is new," she excused. Her voice sounded nervous. "…When the new owners took over the center they had us all order new business cards…" She stammered.

"What does that have to do with anything?" I inquired.

"Mine say _Isabella Swan_…" she deadpanned.

I bit down hard on my tongue and surprisingly had to stifle a growl. I couldn't believe she had already changed her name. How was she able to do that so quickly? She had to know this news would devastate me. _Did she have no heart?_

"Edward, are you still there?" Her voice was not much above a whisper.

"Why did you do that already?" Is all I could think to say.

"It's not what it appears. The new owner was changing logos and ordered us all new business cards and name plaques for the doors. Rather than order them twice, I decided it was a good time to …"

"_Whatever_!" I snapped, not wanting to discuss it further. "The reason I was calling was to tell you that I had my lawyer draw up an amended agreement to your divorce proposal. I'd like to send it to you to look over."

"Edward, please let me explain." Her voice was pleading and concerned.

"You don't need to explain to me. Just look for the papers in the mail, tomorrow or the next day. Have a good day… _Miss Swan_." I spat, and hung up quickly, not wanting to torture myself by listening to her voice any longer.

_Bella's POV_

For the second time since my separation from Edward I was mentally kicking myself for not being more considerate of his feelings. I shouldn't have told him that over the phone! It was unnecessary and thoughtless. He deserved better than that. I rubbed eyes angrily and walked into the break room for a cup of coffee.

"Rough day?" Lee Stephens asked as he stood at the sink, washing his lunch dishes.

"Yes," I answered. "It's not the students, though. It's Edward."

"Is he giving you a hard time about the divorce?" He inquired.

"Not exactly…" I explained the awkwardness of the phone call we'd just had and he listened intently.

Lee was about five years older than I was. He was a former school teacher who had two adult children and a new grandchild. His wife had left him when their children were still young and he had been single ever since. He started work at the center about two years ago and had always been friendly but he was no one I ever spoken with at great length.

"Thankfully when Edna and I got divorced, she made it easy on me. I'm sorry you're having trouble." His voice was considerate.

"I expected it to be difficult, but I never realized just how hard it would be. My whole life is changing, and I'm having trouble adjusting." I complained.

"I remember the feeling." He added, and then cleared his throat. "How'd you like to have coffee sometime? You sound like you need a good listening ear."

I considered his offer. _Coffee_? It sounded innocent enough. I felt like I was definitely up for something as unassuming as coffee. "Sure," I answered before I could change my mind. "Coffee sounds good." I smiled.

His face smiled warmly back at me. "How about after work tomorrow night? My last student leaves here at five o'clock."

"I'm off tomorrow, but I could meet you here at five?" I offered, filling my cup from the coffee pot.

"Sounds good. See you tomorrow, then." He turned and left the break room and I sat down to take a sip from my cup. I wondered if going for coffee was considered a date?

_Edward's POV_

I walked out of my room after my conversation with Bella and knew I had to get my mind off of this recent news. I went to my work out room and decided a run on the treadmill was exactly what I needed. I put on my headset, turned on my iPod and started running. As my heart-rate increased I felt the tension start leaving my body. I really had no reason to be upset about Bella changing her name. _It was her name, after all_. I knew she wasn't going to be my wife for much longer anyway, and there wasn't anything I could do about it.

The run took me a half hour, leaving me feeling much less tense. Covered in sweat, I pulled my shirt off over my head and rubbed it over my hair to dry the perspiration that was dripping into my eyes. I walked through the house and back to my room for a shower. A refreshing, relaxed feeling came over me as I stood at let the hot water pound into my scalp and down over my body.

Afterwards I walked to the kitchen for a drink of water, planning to return my room to do some work. But noticed my parents in Dad's office, holding paint swatches up to the wall and standing back to see how the colors looked.

"Have you made a decision yet?" I asked, tipping the bottle of water up to my lips.

"We've narrowed it down," he joked. "Your mom still isn't convinced, though."

She clucked her tongue in disappointment. "I know it's your office, Carlisle, but it's in our home and I want to be happy with the decision as well."

"No matter what I decide, you're never going to be happy, Esme." Dad teased her.

"I needed to ask you about something that happened about a week ago." I sat in one of the chairs and waited for my parents to join me. "I was at 'Nes and Jake's house and Bella was there. She said she spoke with you on the phone. You never told me and I wondered why."

Dad looked at me skeptically. "I have no idea why Bella would bring that up but I am not going to lie to you. It's true, she called one evening and we spoke."

"She said you were…" I struggled to remember her exact words. "…umm, I think she said you were _very upset_ with her."

"I still am _very upset_ with her, Son. She has been so thoughtless with your feelings. I'm mostly just disappointed in her decisions. She called us the night you were served with the papers for your divorce, asking if everyone was alright. I didn't beat around the bush with her; I didn't feel like I had to. I told her that if she was so concerned with our feelings then she should be more considerate of _yours_."

"I wish you hadn't done that. Bella has done nothing to you!"

"She has hurt us by the way she is hurting you, Edward. We love her like she's our own daughter, but your father and I can't bite our tongues while she steps all over you. She doesn't even realize she's hurting Renesmee as well." Mom interjected.

"You're right about that. This whole thing is hurting 'Nes more than she admits. But I'm doing fine now. Please don't criticize Bella for this. _I_ hurt _her_ too."

"But…" Dad began but I cut him off.

"Please just accept what I've asked of you. _Both of you_," I stressed this with my words and my eyes until they both nodded in agreement.

_Bella's POV_

I pulled into the parking lot at work and my stomach was twisting into nervous knots. The whole idea of going out for coffee with Lee was making me regret making this date in the first place. _If this could even be consider a date? _

I had chosen to wear a pair of khaki slacks and a sweater. It was comfortable, not too dressy but more dressed up than jeans. I didn't take extra pains with my hair or make up, deciding that I needed to keep this as casual as possible. Especially since I didn't even know whether it was a date or not…

After I entered the building I went into my office and sorted through my mail and a few stacks of papers when Lee stepped into my cubicle. He was wearing a tweed sport jacket over his blue oxford shirt and tie, along with dark dress slacks. He looked very much like every school teacher I had ever known. "Hi Bella. Are you ready to go?" His smile was gracious and sincere.

I returned his smile, "Yes, let me get my coat."

He politely lifted my sleeve and helped me slide it over my shoulders before walking behind me out to the lobby. Once we were outside of the building his smile returned. "I thought we could walk to the corner café. It's only about two blocks, are you up for that?"

"That sounds nice." We walked silently for a few steps until he began chatting.

"Thank you for agreeing to go out with me, Bella. I don't get out after work very often."

I chuckled lightly. "Thank you for asking me. I always go right home after work and spend the evenings in front of the television."

"I have friends who spend most of their time in the bars, but that's not my scene. I much prefer a quieter atmosphere."

"I know what you mean." I added.

We walked into the café and he held the door open for me. We found a table near the door and he politely waited for me to side into the booth before sitting himself. When the waitress approached the table we both ordered coffee but nothing to eat. Soon we both were sipping on steaming mugs of coffee and I wondered what to say next.

"Tell me about yourself, Bella." He smiled, lifting his cup for a long sip.

"Well I was raised by my father most of my life. He is a retired football coach in Forks. Do you know where that is?" He nodded and I continued. "He was the coach at the high school there and I spent a lot of my life there watching his team practice. By the time I was old enough I became a cheer leader."

Lee chuckled at my admission, "I visited Forks once when my former in-laws were here sightseeing. It's a nice small town. I can almost picture you growing up there."

"It is a nice small town. My dad still lives there but I don't get to visit him as often as I like."

"How did you happen to move to Seattle?" He asked.

"When Edward and I started college at UW, we moved into an apartment close to campus. He was from Seattle in the first place, so it was an easy transition for him. I had always lived in Forks so it was a bit of a culture shock for me. I got used to it though. We raised our daughter and while we had classes, his mother baby sat. We worked it out for a few years until Edward got a job and then we bought our home in Renton. That's where I still live."

"Do you like the suburbs?" I nodded. "I wondered whether you missed small town living and would want to move closer to your dad…you know, with the divorce and all."

I took a deep breath. "My daughter is here, she's in college, and I love my job, and my friends. I do miss my dad but my life has been here for so long now, it's where I feel most at home." Anxious to stop talking, I added. "How long have you lived in the city?"

"I grew up on the east coast and my ex-wife was from this area. We met in college and when we graduated she wanted move back here, so we relocated. I worked in the city school district for twenty years but when my kids were grown and gone, I sold my house, moved into a condo in the suburbs and started work at the Center. I really love the job I have now. The city school system was way too demanding."

"I have been at the Center for five years, part time of course. I mainly started tutoring to give Renesmee spending money when she went to college."

"That's a very unique name. _Renesmee_! I like that."

"It's a blended name. My mom's name is Renee and Edward's mom name is Esme. Her nickname is 'Nes, so that's what we usually call her."

Lee went on to tell me about his children. His daughter was married and lived nearby with her husband and their newborn son. His son was younger and was traveling through Europe with some friends for a semester before attending grad school.

Our conversation carried on pleasantly and the waitress returned to our table several times to refill our cups before. "I think I've had enough caffeine for one day." I joked when the waitress returned to our table for the last time. Lee asked her for our check and he paid the small bill before we left to walk back down the street.

Once we reached the parking lot, Lee walked me to my car. "I had a great time, Bella. I'd like it if we could go out again sometime. I'd like to take you out for dinner." His smile was hopeful.

"I had a nice time as well, Lee. Thank you for listening. Dinner sounds … nice." I smiled nervously and he reached down and took my left hand in his. He lifted it to his lips and kissed the back of my hand briefly.

"I'll see you at work tomorrow and we can talk about making another date. Good night, Bella." He opened my car door for me and stayed on the sidewalk until I backed out of my parking place and drove away.

The evening was relaxed and comfortable. Lee was friendly and easy to talk to, but now, driving home, I began to feel those nervous knots back in the pit of my stomach. I wondered if I was making a wrong decision by dating so soon. I had to try to move forward with my life if I was going to get over Edward. I was at the point of no return now. Nothing else I did was working to make me forget him. _Dating was the next logical choice, right?_

My conscience kept telling me that it was not a good idea, however I ignored the feeling and I drove straight home. I pulled into the garage and just before unlocking the door, I pulled several pieces of mail from my mailbox. I turned on the light and glanced at them before tossing them on my desk. On top of the stack was an envelope in Edward's handwriting. I figured it was the amended divorce agreement from Edward's lawyer. I stood there holding the envelope in my hand, wondering if I should open it or not.

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><p><strong>AN: What do you think of Bella dating? Will she realize her error before it's too late? **

**Let me know what you think! **


	10. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hi again. I'm glad to see you all so soon! Since chapter 8 was ready I figured I'd take time to put it get it publshed and not keep you waiting any longer. **

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><p>Chapter 8<p>

Present day…Suburbs of Seattle, WA

_Bella's POV_

I opened the envelope and read over Edward's amended agreement to the divorce papers. I was shocked. _He was asking for nothing! _Not the house, none of our marital property, and only one-third of our bank accounts. My hand shook as I re-read the papers to make sure I hadn't made a mistake.

Rensmee and I each were to receive one-third, and the entire house went to me. I couldn't believe he was being this generous and especially that a divorce lawyer, who he was paying, would draw up papers being this one-sided. The only firm stipulation in this agreement was that if I no longer wished to own our home, I would be required to sign it over to Renesmee. _He actually wanted me to have the house… _Tears pooled in my eyes when I realized how unfair this was to Edward.

After all, _I_ was divorcing _him_ and yet his version of the agreement was almost entirely in my favor. I knew he was considerate and he had proven it many times…like the night he came and told me he had paid off the mortgage and wanted me in the house during our separation, _instead of him_. But I had no idea that he would simply sign it over in the divorce. He had told me numerous times that he still loved me and now it appeared he was showing it…

_Or maybe not_. Maybe he just wanted this over and behind him as quickly as possible. I would have been foolish not to sign this agreement immediately and send it back to the lawyers and on to the courts so we could get a finalization date for the divorce. This was way more than I could hope for. _But then why was my heart throbbing in pain?_

I had already gone to Alice for advice and she was no help. So this time I picked up my phone and went to the one person I knew would give me the guidance I neeed.

"Hello?" His strong voice answered.

"_Hi Dad!"_

"Bells! It's so good to hear your voice. How have you been?"

"I'm doing okay. Staying busy at work and taking care of the house. How's retirement treating you?"

He chuckled, "_Retirement? _I'm so busy now I don't know when I ever had time to work." He went on to tell me how he went fishing almost every day and was still helping the new football coach at the school. His voice became solemn when he asked, "Are you going through with the divorce, Bells?"

I nodded my head stupidly, obviously knowing he couldn't see me through the phone. "Yes, Dad I am. I…" My voice broke as I tried to explain.

But, being a loving and understanding father, he shushed me. "You don't have to say anymore. I know how long you've been hurting. You and 'Nes have spent too many nights crying over that man. Hell, I remember that one birthday…"

I cut him off. "I know, Dad. No one knows better than we do. He missed out on a lot."

"So, do you need this old man to come and help you with anything? Are you going to have to move soon?" I choked back tears and explained the divorce agreement to my Dad and he comforted me over the phone. "Listen, if you need anything…anything at all, you call me and I'll be there as soon as I can. I love you Bella. Give my love to 'Nes too, okay?"

"We love you too, Dad. I'll call you again soon."

We ended our phone conversation and I wiped my tears, took out a pen and signed the divorce papers. I slid them into the envelope and without hesitation went immediately to the mail box, returning them to Edward. There was no use waiting, _it was time!_

xoxo

Since my tutoring didn't start until late afternoon, I woke up early and began working around the house. The windows needed washing inside and out. I began upstairs and by noon I was headed downstairs with cleaner and paper towels in hand. As I lifted open the kitchen window, my phone rang from my pocket.

"Hello," I answered.

"Hi Mrs. Cullen…uh…_Bella_." I listened as Jacob's awkward voice spoke. "Listen, I have class and Nessie is sick. I was hoping I could bring her over to your house. She has a fever and I don't want her alone." He explained that she had woken up in the night with a fever and a deep cough. He suspected she had the flu and didn't want her to stay alone while he was away.

"Yes, I'll stay home and take care of her. I'll just run to the store and pick up a few things."

He thanked me and I hung up, quickly removing the bandana from my head and jumping in the shower before heading to the store. On my way, I called the office and let them know I wouldn't be in that afternoon and asked them to reschedule my students for later in the week.

By the time Jake pulled into the driveway an hour later, I had stocked the fridge with juice and the cupboard with chicken soup and herbal tea for my sick daughter. She was visibly sick when I saw her. Her face was flushed, her hair was messy and matted, and she was wearing what looked like Jake's sweatpants and flannel shirt.

"Why don't you lie on the couch and take a nap, 'Nes?" I suggested as she nodded and collapsed. Jake thanked me gave her a gentle kiss before he left for class. I covered my sick girl with a blanket before touching her forehead. "Can I get you anything?"

"No, Mom. I just need to sleep." She whispered. I placed a kiss into her forehead and sat beside her until she fell asleep.

I spent the majority of the afternoon sitting in the easy chair next to the couch watching her sleep just in case she needed me for anything. I stayed busy on my laptop, checking email and reading the news. I heard a "ching" sound indicating there was a new message in my inbox. When I opened the email I saw it was from work.

_Hi, Bella. _

_I heard you're coming to work today._

_I hoped I didn't scare you away after our date last night. _

_I had a wonderful time and hope you did as well._

_Looking forward to taking you to dinner soon,_

_Lee_

How sweet of him! _So he did consider our meeting for coffee as a date_. I took a second to message him back.

_Hi Lee,_

_Thank you for your message._

_My daughter is sick so I stayed home to be with her._

_You didn't scare me away at all. _

_I also had a nice time._

_Just let me know when you'd like to go to dinner. _

_Looking forward to it as well,_

_Bella_

As soon as I hit send I heard Renesmee start moving on the couch. She sat up and appeared confused. "Hi Honey. Did you have a good rest?"

Her voice was still hoarse and whispery. "Yes, Mom, thank you." She stood up to go use the bathroom and asked me if I'd make her some tea. Within a few minutes the tea kettle was heating in the kitchen as she returned to the couch.

I brought her in two Tylenol and a glass of water while I was heating the water for her tea. "You've been working too hard, honey. Between classes and your apartment, you're wearing yourself out. It's time to take a break."

She shook her head. "It all has to get done, though. Jake's just as busy as I am with classes so when we have free time we like to spend it working on the apartment. At least we're together."

I chuckled, understanding her point. "Since you're inherited your Dad's work-a-holic behavior, I'm glad you at least spend your free time with Jake. I still think you're working too hard."

We sat together on the couch watching old movies all evening. Mostly I watched while she dozed in and out, her head in my lap. I watched her sleep and felt so helpless as she lay there sick. It doesn't matter how old your child is, when they're sick you feel like you need to make them better. I reached over, pushing her hair away from her face and noticed her skin was clammy to the touch. Her fever must have broken.

I remember every time she was sick as a child, sitting with her just like this. It always brought my thoughts back in time…

_1987…Forks, WA_

_Bella's POV_

_The Spartans had just won the state championship and nearly the whole town went to the Pizza House to celebrate. Sitting beside Edward, I couldn't be prouder. _

"_I love you, Bella." He leaned over and whispered in my ear. _

"_I love you too." I told him, resting my head on his shoulder._

_Our waitress delivered the pizza to our table and the minute I smelled the spicy, greasy aroma, my stomach lurched and I darted to the bathroom, ready to vomit. I heaved and purged until my arms ached from the strain._

_When I joined the group back in the restaurant, I quickly excused myself to go home. "I think I've had too much excitement for one day. I need some rest." Edward and Dad both offered to bring me home but I declined, wanting to drive myself. _

_I stepped into the house and was shaking as I went to the bathroom. The home pregnancy test I bought seemed complicated and I was nervous trying to use it alone. But at the same time I didn't dare tell anyone, even Alice. I followed the instructions and waited…_

Present day…Suburbs of Seattle, WA

_Edward's POV_

I walked down the steps from 'Nes and Jake's apartment, confused. It was almost dark and I knew they both had classes today but I thought they'd remember I was coming over to begin replacing the hinges on the kitchen cabinets. I waited for a while but it was clear they weren't home. Maybe they got tied up in traffic…I pulled out my phone and sent a text message to Renesmee

_Hey, 'Nes._

_I stopped by to work on the kitchen but you're not here._

_Any idea when you'll be home? _

I sat on their front steps and waited for a response. My phone vibrated and I looked at the display…

_Hi Edward, it's Bella._

'_Nes is sick and Jake's at class. _

I immediately texted back…

_Is she okay? _

The message came back…

_She has a fever. Probably the flu._

_Jake brought her here before he went to class. _

_She's asleep on the couch right now._

My fingers quickly typed…

_What can I do?_

_Does she need anything?_

Damn! I hated when she was sick. I realized she was a grown woman, technically. But she was still my baby girl. It was difficult seeing her sick.

_I don't think she needs anything. _

_I bought her soup and tea._

_Her fever looks like it's broken but she's still sleeping_

I took my keys and jumped into my car. Before pulling away I texted back…

_I'm on my way._

Just as I pulled into traffic and onto the highway I realized…This wasn't my house anymore! I couldn't just barge in, even though Renesmee was sick. _I had ask or be invited first! Dammit! _I bit down hard on my tongue and asked…

_I'm sorry, Bella. _

_Would it be okay if I came and saw her?_

Her reply was nearly instantaneous.

_Of course_

I drove as fast as I was able, not wanting to exceed the speed limit any more than necessary but arrived at Bella's house in about twenty minutes. I jumped out of my car and up the porch steps where I hesitated momentarily. I lifted my hand to knock when Bella opened the door abruptly.

She smiled warmly. "She's still on the couch." She held the door open and stepped aside for me to enter. I walked in and darted to her side, kneeling on the floor and touching her hair with my hand. Bella appeared over the back of the couch and whispered. "She's been asleep most of the afternoon."

"I don't want to wake her." I whispered, "I was just worried."

"Would you like some coffee? Maybe she'll wake up soon." Bella offered.

I looked up at her and nodded, standing so I didn't disturb Renesmee. I followed Bella to the kitchen and looked around the house as I walked. _It was exactly the same. _I shrugged inwardly as I sat at the island and watched Bella pour water into the coffee maker. She sat across from me and we stared at each other in awkward silence. I saw her swallow uncomfortably. "I didn't ask Jake what time he'd be back," she commented.

"They were supposed to be home an hour ago so I could work in the kitchen."

"Maybe he'll call when he's on his way."

"Traffic was pretty heavy. Maybe he's stuck somewhere." I shrugged.

Bella stood and poured us each a cup of coffee and handed me mine. "If she ever wakes up, she'll be glad you came."

I nodded in agreement. "Damn, I hate it when she's sick." I chuckled lightly. "It never gets easier, does it?"

Bella smiled, "Not at all."

Tipping my mug up, I took a sip of the steaming liquid when we heard our daughter's voice from the other room. "Mom?" She sounded raspy and hoarse.

"We're right here 'Nes," Bella called out.

I put my cup down on the counter and followed her into the living room. Renesmee was sitting up, peering over the back of the couch looking as sick as I had ever seen her. She squinted her eyes and shook her head, apparently confused. "_Dad_?" She questioned quietly.

I laughed lightly, "Yes 'Nes. It's me. I texted when you and Jake weren't home and your mom answered, saying you were sick." She smiled weakly and I sat on the footstool beside her, reaching my hand out to stroke her forehead. "How're you feeling?"

"Better, I think. I've been shivering since last night."

I kissed her forehead and agreed with Bella. Her fever must have broken. Even though her face was pale and sweaty, she still was beautiful. "Is this the way you get out of working on those kitchen cabinets?" I teased.

"_Shucks_!" She teased right back. "No, honestly, I wanted to get them finished. Maybe tomorrow."

"That's enough from both of you," Bella scolded us. "You're going to rest up tomorrow and _you…" _She turned from our daughter and stared directly at me. "… Need to quit working on their kitchen until she's all better." Her brows furrowed as she cast a scowl back and forth between the two of us.

I looked at the two of them and smiled. Bella, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, hair up in a messy bun, was still the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Renesmee was also stunning, but still a little girl in my eyes.

My heart pitched sideways, reminding me how much I loved both of them. No matter how strong I seemed all week long, being in the same room with the two of them made me long to have our family unit back.

It wasn't long before Jake was knocking on the door. He had been stuck on the interstate behind an accident and left his cell phone in his laptop bag in the trunk. "How're you feeling Nessie?" He sat beside her on the couch, taking her hand in his.

"A little better. Mom made me some tea and I slept a long time." She stretched and yawned, making Jake laugh.

"Are you ready to come home with me, or are you going to stay here and have your mom and dad take care of you?"

I shook my head and chuckled awkwardly. "I'm not staying. I have to get home. I'm glad you're feeling better. We will get back to work on the kitchen when you're up to it." I pulled her into a hug and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I love you 'Nes. Call me if you need anything." I stood up to get my coat, realizing how sad it was that I had to leave. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Bella's posture seemed sad as well.

_Is it possible that has this hurt her as much as it has me?_ I shrugged it off realizing that it was her who filed for divorce after all. If she wanted to change this at any time, she certainly could. She had all the power. _The ball was in her court. _I shook Jake's hand, reminding him to take care of my little girl and then looked at Bella's sad eyes. "Thank you for letting me come over Bella."

"You're welcome," she smiled slightly as she opened the door for me to leave. I walked out onto the porch and heard her clear her throat, "Edward…"

I turned around and our eyes met, "Yes?" There was apart of me that I hoped she changed her mind. I wished she would say... _I have been so wrong. I love you Edward and I want us back_

Her face suddenly flushed with embarrassment. "…Never mind. Have a good night."

"You too." I answered, spinning back around and walking toward my car. _Damn that felt so close too! Or maybe I was just hoping._

My ride home was as painful as any other time I had to leave Bella. But seeing our daughter so sick, made the pain of leaving even worse. Of course I knew she had Jake to take care of her. It was clear to me that he loved her, but I still couldn't help but realize how much I wanted to take care of her. It felt like I had missed out on so much over the years and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't go back in time.

I thought back to the moment I found out Bella was pregnant for Renesmee. Both of us seventeen, in high school and neither of us had any idea where our own lives were going. Let alone how to make a life for our unborn child…

_1987…Forks, WA_

_Edward's POV_

_I went to check on Bella after we were done at the Pizza House. I knocked on her door and waited for her to answer. "Hey, Beautiful," I smiled and reached to kiss her as I stepped in the living room. "Coach went out to the bar with the other coaches… I can take care of you till he gets home." I held her hand and walked with her to the couch. "Are you feeling better?"_

_She shook her head no and suddenly jumped up from the couch, running for the bathroom. I ran after her, only to hear her heaving into the toilet. "Bella? Can I come in and help you?"_

"_No," she gagged. "Don't come in here."_

_Trying to give her privacy, I waited outside. She opened the door and looked at me with tears in her eyes. "Edward I'm scared…" _

"_Hey, I'm sure it's nothing serious." I assured her, putting my arm around her shoulder and guiding her back to the couch. I sat down and slid her down so her head was in my lap. I ran my fingers through her soft hair, trying to soothe her._

"_I don't know how to tell you this. I know this wasn't planned and there are so many things I want for our future…"_

_I stared down at her nervously. "Bella you're scaring me. What is wrong?" _

"_I'm pregnant." Tears over flowed her eyelids and down her cheeks. _

_I was instantly frozen with fear. My God! I was nowhere near ready for this. We were so young, we both had college to think of and…I suddenly realized she was scared too and I wasn't helping. _

_I pulled her to a sitting position and looked deeply into her eyes. I swallowed hard and began, "Bella, I love you. I know it'll take a lot of planning, but I want to have this baby with you. _

_She sobbed and I pulled her into my arms. "I can't believe this is happening to us! I'm so ashamed. Our parents are going to die with embarrassment! Having a child when we're not even married…"_

_I pulled her chin up and gently kissed her lips. "Bella, I want us to be parents together…and I want to marry you…" ... _

In that moment, I got down on one knee and right there in Coach's living room I proposed to Bella Swan. I didn't have a ring, or anything else to show her how much I loved her. But I made a promise to her. A promise that I would love her until the end of time… that I would care for her always. A promise that I still held in my heart but one that we had both decided to ignore as we moved forward with our divorce.

How could I have been so blind and not see what was right there in front of me? I mean when we started out, she was with someone else, but I didn't let that stop me from going after her. I started thinking...how could I have given up so quickly when she asked for this divorce? I mean back at the house while she was caring for 'Nes it looked like she wanted me to stay. Did I give up too quickly on our marriage? Should I continue to fight for her? Fight for our family?

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><p><strong>AN: There is doubt creeping into both of their minds. What will happen? Will they going forward with the divorce or finally communicate like they should have all along? It's anybody's guess. **

**As of now, I'm hoping to finish this story within a month. We'll see what happens though. Quite often I think I'm finished and my characters won't shut up...Stay tuned.**


	11. Chapter 9

**Hello everyone! Our story continues...**

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><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

**Present Day…suburbs of Seattle, WA**

**_Edward's POV_**

Finally the afternoon and evening were free and 'Nes was feeling well enough to work in their kitchen. Jake and I each had a ladder and worked on opposite sides of the kitchen so we wouldn't be in each other's way. 'Nes held the new hinges and screws for us and took the old ones as we hung them in place.

"The new bronze hinges and knobs look great, Dad. Thanks for picking them out."

"You're welcome. Now if you can ever decide on curtains you'll be able to done this room and can move onto the next." I winked at her.

She sighed exasperatedly. "Mom and I are talking about making them because I can find any that I like."

"Yeah but you haven't even found a fabric you like yet. I really think I'd be easier to just buy the curtains. They might not be perfect but we're not going to live here forever." Jake clarified.

"You're right but…I don't know, I just had something else in mind."

I laughed out loud at her. "You're as bad as your grandmother. She is having a fit about the party tomorrow night because the office furniture is all moved out for the painters to come. If it hadn't taken her so long to choose paint, it would have been finished by now."

"I'm not like Grandma! Not at all…I just want the kitchen to be perfect." She explained, rolling her eyes.

"That's what Grandma said too." I teased.

**_Bella's POV_**

There was a pulse of nervousness running thorough me as I put the finishing touches on my hair and makeup. I looked down at my shoes and dress and felt my hands begin to shake, making it nearly impossible to finish putting on my makeup.

I was calling this my first _actual date_ with Lee. And even though we had gone out for coffee that one time, this definitely felt like a date when that did not. He had made reservations at an upscale restaurant in the area and was picking me up at 6:00. I glanced at the clock and realized I only had a half hour to finish getting ready. I slipped my black dress over my head and stepped into my heels, finally finished.

The more I considered this evening the more nervous I became. But it wasn't because I had any romantic feelings for Lee. I simply enjoyed his company and was attempting to be in a social setting the first time with a man who wasn't Edward. Lee was a very nice man; he had been hurt by his ex-wife and hadn't been on many dates since his divorce. He was completely aware that this was my first date since high school and I am sure he expected me to be nervous.

I was ready to go when he arrived promptly at six, and I wasted no time leaving the house, realizing I was very close to cancelling. He held the car door open for me and smiled warmly as I slid into the passenger seat "You look lovely, Bella."

I thanked him and commented on how nice he looked in his dark suit. On the ride, we continued our polite, albeit impersonal conversation. The minute we arrived at the restaurant Lee continued his gracious gestures by pulling my chair out for me at the restaurant and helping me remove my coat. When the waiter approached the table he ordered us a bottle of wine and we perused the menus.

"I'm so thankful we could do this, Bella. I have admired you for a long time and look forward to getting to know you better." He smiled at me over the top of his menu and I blushed.

"Thank you, Lee. I am completely out of practice here, so forgive me if I'm a little rusty." I admitted.

He laughed lightly as he poured wine in glasses for each of us. "You're doing just fine. I'll bet by the time dinner comes you won't be nervous at all."

"I wouldn't count on that…" I commented wryly, lifting the glass to my lips to take a sip.

The waiter came and took our order and while we waited I listened to Lee talk about his hobbies. He liked to play golf and enjoyed taking vacations to Florida to visit several of the courses there. He laughed at how boring his children told him his life was but commented how much en enjoyed the relaxing lifestyle he lived.

"Probably most people would say my life is boring too. I go home and read, watch TV and talk to my daughter on the phone. I like to cook and lately I've spent a lot of time cleaning my house."

Lee was right, the longer we talked the more comfortable I became. I still was a little tense but he was so pleasant and easy to talk to that I almost forgot we were on a date. When our food came we talked about what our favorite meals were and where we liked to shop. I explained to him that growing up I had done most of the shopping and cooking from a very young age. He had only starting cooking after his divorce and told me amusing stories of the debacles of preparing meals as a single man.

The waiter removed our plates and we opted not to have dessert but instead to take a walk and continue our chat. The night air was chilly and we walked rather briskly along the street taking in the window displays of the small shops and the unusual people out walking at this hour. We had walked only a short distance when I felt Lee's hand touch mine. He didn't turn his head, but simply touched his fingers to mine and then clasped our hands together, never missing a beat in our step.

It felt awkward, holding his hand, but I kept walking and talking, trying to ignore the awkwardness. We made a loop around the next street over and ended up back at his car on the curb outside the restaurant. He opened the door for me and then climbed into his own side before driving me home.

Once he pulled into my driveway, he got out of his side of the car and helped me out like the gentleman he had been all evening. He walked me to the door courteously and then smiled down at me. There was a breeze blowing by which caused him to squint as he spoke. "I had a wonderful time tonight, Bella."

I cleared my throat, "I did too, Lee. Thank you for dinner."

Before I could take my next breath, he leaned his face closer to mine and just a fraction of a second before our lips touched I turned my head away. "Um, I'm sorry… I can't … it's too soon for me." I shook my head, not even able to look at his face yet.

Instead he took my hand in his and kissed the back of it like he had done the other night. I finally looked up and saw his eyes were gently smiling down at me "I understand. Goodnight, Bella." He walked down the steps and across the sidewalk to his car, his head held high and seemingly un-phased by my rejection.

I ducked into the house and slid my back against the door wondering what on earth was wrong with me. Lee was attractive, intelligent, kind and easy to talk to. I just couldn't bear the idea of kissing him.

xoxo

The next morning I had a breakfast date with Alice and Rensmee and then we were going shopping for curtains for 'Nes and Jake's kitchen. Alice and I arrived at the diner first and the waitress was just pouring our coffees when 'Nes arrived.

"I'm so glad you could join us Alice. Your taste is impeccable and I really need help." My daughter leaned over and hugged Alice before sliding into the booth beside me and giving me a hug as well.

"You look so beautiful," Alice told her. "You're actually glowing. It must be love!" She flashed Renesmee a wink.

"It is. I love Jake so much." She picked up her menu and blushed as she decided what to order. While we waited for our food, Renesmee and I told Alice all about her apartment and the décor they had chosen already. "The kitchen curtains are the only real dilemma. I want it to be perfect, except I don't really have anything specific in mind. Nothing I see appeals to me."

"There's a customer of mine who owns a custom drapery store. I thought we could look there to get some ideas of colors and textures and then decide if that's what you want or if we need to look elsewhere." Alice chimed with a smile.

Our breakfast arrived and while we began to eat Alice continued. "So, Bella. I want to know all about your date last night." I looked up from my plate and found her wide eyes staring back at me.

Renesmee gasped out loud. "_A date?_ I didn't know anything about a date! _With who_?"

I took a deep breath and shot Alice a nervous glance. "I guess you could call it a date… Lee Stephens from the office took me out to dinner. It was nothing, really." I attempted to brush off the conversation casually.

"Mom, I'm surprised. I didn't realize you were there yet…_you know_…ready to start dating?" I could tell the topic upset her, even though she was trying to remain calm and collected.

"I'm not sure I am ready to start dating, to be honest." I took a mouthful of eggs to avoid saying anything else.

"Did he kiss you goodnight?" Alice prompted.

"_Alice_!" I scolded. "This isn't the time or place to talk about this. My daughter is here."

"Must be he did then…" Renesmee cast me a sideways glance.

I put down my fork and my face dropped into my hands. "Ugh!" I sighed. "He tried to kiss me but I couldn't do it. I didn't let him." I admitted, hands still over my face.

I heard Alice giggle slightly. "Hmm, I wonder why that is?" Alice gave me an all-knowing look.

"Shut up," I replied, turning with an impatient smile toward Alice. "It was embarrassing. I felt so immature."

"You seem flustered. Must be you really like him, Mom." Renesmee replied before picking up her cup and taking a sip of coffee.

"That's not it at all!" Alice corrected my daughter as she shook her finger at me. "I told you what you need to do Bella. You just didn't listen."

"I'm missing something…" Renesmee shrugged. "Why don't you tell me what's really going on?"

Alice continued like she didn't even hear Renesmee speaking. "You're not ready to date, Bella and you know it. You're still in love with Edward!" She smiled widely at me, making direct eye contact and I had no choice but admit she was right.

I hung my head toward the table and nodded ashamedly.

"_Seriously_?" My daughter exclaimed. She spun her body around to face me in the booth we shared and she looked from my eyes to Alice's as if trying to decipher if the prediction was correct. "Oh my gosh, you're right Alice! Mom, why didn't you tell me?"

I could feel my face getting hot and I made eye contact with her. "'Nes...my relationship with your father is complicated. It's more than just whether we love each other or not…"

"That's where you're wrong, Bella. If you two love each other there's only one thing to do … call Edward and talk it over."

Both Alice and Renesmee continued to encourage me to talk to Edward. While I continued to defend my original decision, knowing very well that they were right … _and I was wrong_.

**_Edward's POV_**

I walked down the stairs and stood in front of my mom so she could make sure my appearance met with her expectations. She tilted her head sideways and walked around me, eyeing every square inch of my suit. Her hand brushed over my shoulders, no doubt removing some non-existent lint.

I chuckled at her, "Mom, I've managed to get dressed for functions for years without you scrutinizing my attire. This is a birthday party for Dad, not a room inspection in the army."

She shook her head in dismay. "Is it too much to ask that my family look respectful for a special occasion?"

"It's Dad's birthday party. I haven't ever missed one yet."

"True, but I never thought Bella took enough time to make sure you all looked your best. Now in my day…"

I cut her off with a kiss on her cheek. "I love you, Mom." I smiled at her, hoping my dazzling smile would distract her, and it did, thankfully.

Mom rushed into the kitchen to make sure the appetizers were ready to go into the oven. Within minutes the door bell rang and I was ushering Jake and Renesmee in the door. I brought them both into the living room for drinks while Mom put the food under the boiler.

"Hi Grandma," Renesmee leaned in for a hug as my mom wiped her hands on the apron she was wearing. "You look so beautiful."

"Thank you, sweetie. I'll look better when I can take off this apron and sit down with all of you. Grandpa should be down any minute." She glanced at her wrist watch just as we heard Dad descend the staircase.

"Did I hear my granddaughter's voice?" He smiled widely, pulling her into his arms for a hug.

"Happy birthday Grandpa." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and he shook Jake's hand, and then removed the drink I held out for him to take.

Mom came in carrying a tray of bacon wrapped scallops and placed it on the coffee table before finally removing her apron and joining the rest of us for drinks until dinner was ready.

"I heard you were having some trouble picking out curtains for your kitchen,'Nes." Mom spoke up as she was serving dinner.

"Not anymore. I went shopping earlier today and finally found exactly what I wanted."

Jake smiled. "You didn't tell me that! What do they look like?"

Renesmee cast a brief scowl at him and then explained, "Mom, Alice and I went out for breakfast and then went shopping this morning. Alice suggested a store and the owner showed us a ton of swatches until I found just the right ones. I ordered them and she said they should be here within a week."

Jake laughed at her from his seat as he took a drink from his water glass. "You must have been distracted, because all you told me after you got home was about your mother's da…" He suddenly snapped his mouth shut and glanced nervously around the table, his face reddening with embarrassment.

"What was that Jacob?" Dad piped up.

"Uh… um" He stammered, looking at Renesmee for guidance.

The look on her face as she looked back at him was pure annoyance. She bit her lip nervously, her face flushed to match Jakes. Then she took a deep breath and explained, "Mom went on a date with a guy from work."

_Dead silence spread over the room_.

My chest felt as if my heart had been torn out. My insides were like ice. I stared off into the distance in disbelief, unable to utter a single word.

"Well, that was soon, wasn't it?" Dad replied in a know-it-all tone while Mom sighed in nervousness.

"I'm sorry, Nessie. I didn't mean to, it just slipped out…" Jake tried to apologize and she just shook her head, trying to avoid any more awkward conversation.

The rest of dinner went by in a blur for me. I went through the motions of the family celebration, including watching my father blow out candles on his cake. All the while my mind was clouded with the thoughts of another man in Bella's life.

For some reason I knew there was more that Renesmee wanted to say as she sat there across from me, her lips in a tight line. I smiled through gritted teeth at my family as they celebrated, even though there was so much tension in the room, you could have cut it with a knife.

When 'Nes and Jake got up to leave, I walked them to the door. I shook Jake's hand and his eyes met mine sadly. I realized he was still embarrassed about letting the news slip about Bella. I slapped his arm with my hand while we shook. "It's okay, Jake. Thank you for coming." I smiled, trying to put on a happy face, even though I didn't want to.

I pulled my daughter in for a hug and she whispered in my ear, "Don't worry Dad, It'll all work out. It's not what it seems." She smiled at me and told me she loved me before I had a chance to respond. "We'll see you tomorrow?" I nodded and as they left I closed the door behind them and turned to go face the music with my parents.

My dad was standing in the living room, tapping his foot nervously. "What do you think of that news, Son?"

"I'm devastated, Dad! What did you expect me to say?" I snapped at him.

"You know son, if you'd listened to my advice you might not have been so surprised by this news…" His voice trailed off as I flashed back to a time when I did listen to my Dad's advice…

**_1987…Forks, WA_**

_I stood in my parent's living room explaining my plan to my Dad. "We want to buy the house, Dad. Bella fell in love with it and I want to give it to her and 'Nes." _

_Dad let out a deep breath. "Do you really think you can afford it, Son? I mean you just started at Boeing."_

"_The bank says we can afford it if our down payment is sufficient. That's why I need your help." _

"_How many hours have you been working since you started the job?"_

"_About forty," I answered, not understanding how that was pertinent. _

"_You told me when you applied that they told you there would be overtime hours available. Have they not offered you overtime?"_

_I nodded, "Yes they have and I've done some overtime. I just enjoy being home with Bella and 'Nes so much, I hate to miss dinner every night…"_

"_Edward don't you remember the conversation we had when you told your mother and I that Bella was pregnant?" I nodded and he continued, not missing a breath. "We agreed to pay your tuition to college and your rent, as well as most of your other expenses, while you and Bella were in school, so you could support your daughter on your own one day."_

"_I remember, Dad, and I'm so grateful for what you've done."_

"_Then I think you need to consider whether you should be refusing overtime hours when your company offers them to you. You don't have the luxury of refusing pay when you have a family to support, not to mention the fact that you want to buy a new home, and a very expensive one at that." _

"_I know I have an obligation to support them, and you've been helping a lot but I want to be with them too. Isn't there a way to have both, a career and a family you get to actually see? I don't want to work my life away."_

"_Then you should have thought of that before you knocked up your girlfriend at seventeen!" He shouted._

_I was embarrassed and hung my head in shame. "I'm sorry, Dad. You're right. If I promise to work every single minute they offer, would you consider loaning us the deposit for this house?"_

_He nodded, "It's not a question of loaning you the money. Of course we will do that. I only want to be sure you understand the kind of dedication that's required when you have a good job. You don't see me showing up at exactly dinner time every night, did you?" _

"_No, you've always worked lots of hours." I admitted._

"_Part of that is so your mother could stay home and take care of you. If I wanted her to stay home and raise you, I knew I'd have to work all that much harder."_

_I nodded in agreement. "I want Bella home too. I'll do whatever it takes to support her and 'Nes." _

_Dad smiled at me. "Great plan, Edward. I'll have the check ready for you tomorrow. _

**_Present Day…suburbs of Seattle, WA_**

I realized that all of the time I spent away from my family was prompted by my Dad. I was angry at all of time I had wasted with my wife and daughter, because I took my Dad's advice…and now my wife is moving on with her life.

Her life without me in it.

I won't lie, it hurt like hell. She was _and still is_ everything to me. When I first laid eyes on her, I knew I wanted her and it took time but eventually I won her over. But here we are 23 years later, separated and in the process of a divorce. The papers had been signed both of us. All that had to happen now was for the court to set the date for a hearing. Soon we would no longer be married. Bella wouldn't be my wife.

My heart broke in a million pieces when it finally hit me.

It was over. _Really over_. I slumped down in my room on the floor and I just let the tears flow down my face, absorbed the pain of losing the best part of my life, my existence.

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><p><strong>AN: I'm coming closer to the end of the story. Maybe three chapters more...maybe a bit longer, but it's definitely winding down. Please let me know if you like the story, let me know what you 'd like to see happen, and if you're not liking it, why not? **

**Thanks, I appreciate it a lot! Talk to you next time! ~D**


	12. Chapter 10

**A/N: I realize it's been such a long time since I updated and even though I hoped this to be out sooner, I neglected my writing sadly, didn't meet my goal. Please forgive me. Nevertheless, here it is. Short and Sweet...**

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><p><em><strong>Three Months Later<strong>_

_**Edward's POV**_

Wearing a suit and tie I stepped into the elevator and pushed the button to go down. I absentmindedly ran my hand through my hair and glanced at my watch. The celebration downstairs was scheduled to begin any minute. I cleared my throat and straighted my necktie once more. I was clearly nervous for what was about to happen.

It had a month since Jacob and Renesmee had announced their engagement. At the time this celebration had seemed so far in the future, however the night was now upon us. In a matter of minutes I would be seeing Bella for the first time in weeks.

My own life had become a routine of work and spending my time off with 'Nes and Jake, as well as my parents. Even though I missed Bella terribly, I had found life without her wasn't as painful as I once thought it would be.

I knew Bella had been dating someone from work and no matter how much it tore at my heart, I had resigned myself to accept the fact that she was moving on. In less than a week our divorce would be final and our marriage would be history.

The elevator bell rang, as the doors opened and I could hear music was coming from down the hall. I enter the ballroom and looked for a familiar face.

"Daddy!" My heart soared as I was nearly knocked down by my exuberant daughter. She had a tight grip on my neck. I took a second to embrace her before she lowered herself to the ground.

When she pulled away from me, I took a moment to look at her. She was wearing a blue dress and her hair was styled softly with her natural curls falling to nearly her waist. "You look so beautiful 'Nes."_ Just like her mother. _

"Thanks Daddy. You look handsome too! Our table is right up front." She turned and pointed toward the far end of the dance floor. Grandma and Grandpa aren't here yet but Coach is right at our table, if you want to go say hello." She kissed my cheek and ran off to greet some of her friends who were just entering the room.

Before joining Coach at the appropriate table I walked to the bar and ordered a drink. I cast him a pleasant nod but he spoke before I could. "Edward," He acknowledged me with what can only be described as contempt.

"Good to see you, Coach." I shook his hand and observed that for a man in his mid-sixties he certainly had retained his strength.

"Wish I could say the same, Edward. I'm glad you could make it." He had only recently developed this condescending tone when speaking to me and I really didn't like it.

"Of course I made it," I retorted. "My daughter's engagement party is a momentous occasion."

Coach scoffed, "It's a good thing something merits a _momentous occasion_ in your life." He shifted his eyes warily as he tipped his beer up to take a long drink.

I smiled at my father in law before deciding what to say. "Every day is a momentous occasion in my life now, Coach. Maybe you haven't heard, but I quit my job at Boeing months ago. Since then I've spent the majority of my spare time helping 'Nes and Jake renovate their apartment…"

He grunted disrespectfully as he cut me off mid-sentence. "Doesn't make up for all the years you spent away from the family you were blessed with. Hell, you might have had more children if you hadn't been gone so much. I used to think that I'd be a granddad many times over but that never happened. Besides the fact that Bella always wanted more …"

"Daddy!" I heard Bella's glorious voice speak up to scold her father. I could tell she was standing right behind me. "Now's not the time for your theatrics. It's 'Nes and Jake's day." Bella join us at our table and she kissed Coach's cheek, causing him to calm down slightly. "Edward." She stepped forward and gave me a casual hug.

I hugged her back briefly, not daring to look directly at her, for fear the pain I was feeling in my heart would show on my face. It took all of my self-control to keep from gripping her too tightly. I desperately wanted to hold her for longer and barely caught a waft of her delectable scent before she pulled away from me. "It's good to see you, Bella." I smiled, finally chancing a glance in her direction. _She was so beautiful. _

"Your parents just walked in, Edward." She commented, clearly changing the subject.

I turned my head and saw my parents walking toward us. I smiled and waved them over and noticed a cautious glance from my dad. Obviously he saw the embrace between Bella and me. I wasn't in the mood to justify my actions to him. He needed to realize that I had to behave in the best interest of my daughter. After all, Bella and I both had family and friends here who would certainly be scrutinizing the way we interacted. As an afterthought, I hoped my father would keep his sarcastic comments to himself tonight.

Apparently Bella also noticed the stare he was sending our way. She cleared her throat and quickly asked Coach to come with her to meet Jacob's family. Like a beautiful breeze suddenly ended, she walked away, hand on her father's shoulder.

My mother put her hands on the sides of my face and gave me a loud kiss on the cheek as my father spoke, "Getting mighty friendly with Isabella tonight, wouldn't you say, Son?" Before I could comment, our conversation was interrupted by the microphone.

"Ahem. Good evening folks. I want to thank you all for being here tonight to celebrate the engagement of Renesmee and Jacob." the DJ announced. I ignored the announcements for a few minutes as I watched my daughter and the love of her life walk to the center of the dance floor. They both looked happy as they held hands and listened to the DJ. "Don't forget to thank Renensmee for choosing our 1980's theme for the evening. I'm here all night, taking requests. Without further ado, I have my first dedication of the evening. Jake, this one's for you from _Nessie_. Let's start dancing with Duran Duran's _Hungry Like the Wolf_."

I watched as Jacob took 'Nes's hand. A whole horde of their friends joined them and the lights in the room went dim, lit only by a disco-ball overhead. My parents didn't waste any time joining the group of couples on the dance floor. I had hopes that I could dance with Bella, but noticed she was already on the floor with Coach. Instead, I walked toward the bar for another drink. The bartender had the drink in front of me quickly and I downed it and ordered another as the music played.

I felt the alcohol start to numb me as memories of my wife and daughter crept into my mind: Marrying Bella; watching her give birth just two days after graduating from high school; the crazy first few months starting college and raising a baby, 'Nes taking her first steps at the end of that first year of college…I became instantly emotional and choked back tears as I walked quickly into the garden outside the ballroom to collect myself. The music droned on from inside and I wondered how long it would be before anyone would notice I had walked away.

I sat for a long time on a bench, overlooking a brightly lit garden and ran my hands over my face in frustration. I had been doing so well until I arrived here tonight and saw Bella. I realized there was nothing I could do to recover our marriage but I hadn't expected to feel this way. The sadness I felt was heavy on my heart. I took a deep breath and walked back into the ballroom where more music was playing. As another song came to an end, I saw Renesmee was still standing with Jacob on the dance floor. When they finally separated, she smiled warmly at me from across the room and walked toward me. She reached her hands out and gave me a hug. "Come with me?" She asked, leading me onto the dance floor. I followed her obediently as she walked across to the stage where the DJ stood.

At the same time, I noticed Jacob was leading Bella across so only the four of us stood at the front of the room. I could feel every eye in the room staring at me and as I looked across at Bella I noticed her blush and realized she was also aware that we were the center of attention.

The DJ handed the microphone to Renesmee as tears formed in my eyes. I could barely see her but her voice carried across the whole room. "I have another dedication," She sighed deeply and looked from her mother to me. "My parents have been my greatest supporters my entire life. They taught me so much but most of all they showed me what unconditional love looked like." She had tears in her own eyes now and I was glad I couldn't see Bella's face from where I stood. "So this song is dedicated to my Mom and Dad. I love you both! Thank you for everything."

Renesmee and Jacob walked off the dance floor, leaving on Bella and I standing there. I smiled over at my wife and reached for her hand, which, by some miracle, she took in hers and joined me in the center of the dance floor. I smiled through my tear filled eyes and said, "I guess we have to keep up appearances..."

_**Bella's POV**_

Edward pulled me into his arms as we waited for the music to start. He looked down at me with pain in his eyes and shaking his head, he pulled me even closer, leaning into my neck. "I miss you," he whispered. His mouth was almost touching my ear.

"I miss you too, Edward," I admitted. He pulled his face away from my neck momentarily and looked down at me quizzically. "_What_?" I chuckled.

"I'm just surprised, that's all. I figured with your new boyfriend you wouldn't have time to miss me." He put his arms around me tighter, and moved his head back into the crook of my neck.

I shook my head at him and whispered, "I don't have a boyfriend. I went on two dates but that was months ago."

I felt his arms tighten even more around my waist. "_Really_?"

"Really…and I honestly do miss you. But I wonder if that really changes anything." I looked forward at Edward's face as I realized we had been standing there holding onto each other with the whole room watching us, and the music hadn't started playing yet.

Tears filled my eyes as our daughter walked over and kissed first her father, and then me on our cheeks. She smiled widely and flashed me a wink before quickly walking away.

"What was that all about?" Edward asked me.

I blushed instantly, not being able to explain what I was sure was about to transpire. Before I could answer, Eric Carmen's voice sounded over the speakers. Realization dawned on Edward's face and I pulled my head away from him, not wanting to remember, but not being able to forget how this song changed our lives.

…_Turn the radio up for that sweet sound  
>Hold me close never let me go<br>Keep this feelin' alive  
>Make me lose control<br>Baby, baby…_

_When I look in your eyes, I go crazy_  
><em>Fever's high with the lights down low<em>  
><em>Take me over the edge<em>  
><em>Make me lose control…<em>

My tears finally overflowed and he nuzzled his nose into my cheek. "She thinks we still love each other." He whispered_._

"_She's right."_ I acknowledged and I heard him gasp in surprise. I shrugged, still close in his arms. "Maybe it wouldn't hurt for us to try to work it out."

"It can't hurt as bad as being without you." He breathed.

"I never meant to hurt you," I told him.

"And I never meant to hurt you. You are my life. I'll do whatever you ask for another chance."

"Will you kiss me?" I smiled up and him, "Because that would be a great place to start." It only took a split second before our lips joined. I was so shocked at the intensity of the kiss that it took my breath away. It was one of the best kisses we had ever shared.

Our song had ended and before I realized, I felt Edward leading me outside to the garden off the ballroom. I wondered briefly whether the crowd was still watching us and then realized I didn't care.

"I love you so much Isabella. Please say you're serious about working this out." His voice was practically begging.

I nodded, "I am absolutely serious."

He smiled widely and his face shone beautifully. "I don't want to let you go."

I pulled my hands up and into his amazing hair, "I didn't say you had to, Edward." I smiled up at him flirtily and pulled him into another passionate kiss.

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><p><strong>AN: Sorry for the cliffy but I figured if I didn't get this part out it would be even longer before I published the update. Hope you all liked the chapter. Probably two chapters left and then that will be the end.**

**Any guesses what happens next?**

**Review and let me know what you think. THANKS A BUNCH! XOXOXOXOXO **


	13. Chapter 11

**A/N: Well readers I have to say this has been a fun story to write. What started as a co-written story, and contest entry for the "Like Totally 80's Contest" turned out to be much longer than the contest entry allowed and a story I finished myself. I added, changed and subtracted material and changed the direction several times. I hope you have all enjoyed reading this. As always your review is appreciated. Love you all! XO**

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><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

_**Bella's POV**_

**The evening continued around us. Guests were celebrating, toasts and speeches were made but if you'd asked me I wouldn't be able to recall any of it. Because I only had eyes for Edward. **

**We visited with family and friends, touching each other in one way or another for the rest of the night. Thankfully no one put us in the uncomfortable spot of inquiring. I did notice, however, that Edward was avoiding his parents like the plague. **

**As the DJ announced the last song of the evening and we joined others on the dance floor once more as the music played. His arms pulled me close and I wrapped my hands behind his neck pulling his lips to my own. **

**His warm, wet mouth met mine in a soft kiss. My head was dizzy with a need to have him closer. I wiggled my body so I was tight against his. Suddenly I felt him grow hard in between us. I pulled my lips away from his and smirked at him, raising my eyebrows. **

"**I'm sorry, but I can't help it, Bella." He whispered against my cheek. **

**I shook my head and smiled up at him. "I don't mind." **

**The music ended and I noticed most everyone had already left. Jacob and Renesmee were across the room toward the head table talking with friends and I noticed my Dad and Edwards parents were talking on the opposite side of the room. Esme had her purse in her hand and her coat draped over her arm, ready to leave. She tilted her head and waved goodbye to us, and lead Carlisle out the door. Right behind them my Dad nodded a curt goodbye as well and exited the ballroom. **

**I cast a questioning look at Edward who shrugged. "**_**Whatever**_**," he beamed down at me. I put my arms around his neck one more time and pulled him into a hug. His full erection was still evident as our bodies pressed closer. "Would it be too presumptuous of me to invite you to join me upstairs in my room?" **_**His smile was making me wet with anticipation. **_

**I took a deep breath. "I don't think that's a good idea," I teased.**

**His face fell briefly before I continued. "I want you to come home with me." **

**He looked at me hopefully. "**_**Home**_**?" **

"**Yes, Edward. Our home."**

**Our conversation was interrupted with 'Nes walked up and put her arms around my neck. She pulled the three of us into a group hug and had tears in her eyes when we separated. **

**Edward's arms lingered around our daughter a moment longer than mine. "Please don't cry 'Nes." He ran his hand along her cheek, brushing a tear away.**

"**Happy tears, Dad." She wiped her cheeks herself and reached for Jake who was looking intensely uncomfortable. She took Jake's hand assuredly. "We just wanted to tell you goodnight before we went to our room. I'll see you tomorrow, Mom." She reminded me that we had plans to go to the bridal boutique to look at mother-of-the-bride dresses the following day. **

"**You'll see us **_**both**_** tomorrow." Edward's eyebrows raised and our daughter laughed. **

"**Actually, would you mind doing me a favor, Jacob?" Our son-in-law-to-be nodded. "Would you drive Bella's car to her house tomorrow?"**

"**Absolutely," he answered and Edward handed him my keys.**

**We said goodnight to the two of them and walked out of the ballroom. Jake and 'Nes headed toward the elevator and Edward and I made our way through the lobby toward the parking garage. As we approached Edward's car I was suddenly nervous. It had been months since we had been together **_**intimately**_**. He slid his hand to the small of my back as he unlocked his passenger door for me. **

**As his hand moved away from my back, I realized how much I longed for his touch. He sat into the driver's side and started the car, backing out of the parking spot. Once he shifted gears and started moving forward, he took my hand in his. **

"**I don't want to let go of you." He explained, his eyes saying much more than his words. **

"**I was thinking the same thing." I said.**

**I was in a daze of happiness as he drove us, without speaking through the city traffic and onto the highway, taking our exit and pulling into the driveway before I let go of his hand. I reached inside my purse, realizing Edward had handed my keys to Jacob. **

**I turned to him and he grinned at me. "I have mine…You haven't changed the locks, I assume?" **

**I shook my head and he unlocked the door, holding it open for me. I turned the light on as I stepped inside, taking a moment to drop my purse and coat by the door. I looked up for a second and met Edward's gaze. The intensity there took my breath away. I closed my eyes for a second and took a slow, deep breath. Then I reached my hand out for his. "Come upstairs with me?" **

**He slid his hand into mine. "Gladly," he smiled back at me. **

**I walked us into the bedroom and pulled him into my arms. I barely got my hands around his neck when his mouth joined mine in a lustful, passionate kiss. Our tongues intertwined gently at first. Eventually I opened my mouth wider as he slid his deeper into my mouth, uttering a groan that made me lose my breath. He pulled his face away from mine and looked down at me adoringly. "I love you, Bella." **

**Deciding it was time to get this show on the road I stepped back away from him slightly. I made eye contact before turning my back away from him and reaching up to slide the zipper of my dress down. "I love you too," I whispered. My face felt flushed as I slid my arms out of my dress and let it fall to the floor in a slightly seductive striptease. **

**I heard him groan again and before I could spin back around to face him I felt his hands on my shoulders. I felt his lips touch my skin as he caressed me with his moist mouth from my earlobe to the tip of my shoulder. My skin erupted in goose bumps as desire spread from where his lips touched me to my now damp center. **

**I tried to turn to face him again but his arms wrapped around me and he pulled my back closer to his chest, pressing his groin into my hips, reminding me I wasn't the only one aroused. **

**His hands caressed over the top of my bra and I relaxed my back into his chest. I leaned my head against his shoulder as he ran his hands over my hardened peaks. He took his time, stroking slowly and seductively. I reached my hand behind me, finding his hardness and stroking him with the palm of my hand. His breathing became erratic and the second I reached for his zipper he spun me around to face him. **

"**I want you so badly, Bella. No measure of time with you will be long enough, but I promise I will make up every second I missed with you. I can't thank you enough for giving me a second chance…" **

**I gripped him tighter through his suit pants and licked my tongue lightly over his top and bottom lips. "Just shut up and make love to me, Edward." **

**He winked and smirked down at me, "as you wish." **

**The next few moments went by in a blur as we both helped each other strip our clothes off. I felt him lift me into his arms and slide me onto the bed. He laid us both on our sides and resumed stroking his hands over my skin. The months apart had given us both a renewed longing for each other. We took time exploring each other's bodies; each using our fingers, hands and mouths to bring intense pleasure to the other. **

**My desire reached a pinnacle and I begged him to enter me. As always, he fulfilled my every need; our joining was powerful, passionate, and affectionate all wrapped up into one climactic ending. Afterwards we lay wrapped around each other; dampness covering our skin, spent, and totally in love. **

_**Edward's POV**_

**The sun was shining through the window when I opened my eyes. I could feel Bella's head on my chest. She was sleeping peacefully with my arm draped over her shoulders. I smiled inwardly as I remembered our incredible reunion. The deep devotion I had for Bella had only increased as she returned every bit of affection I showed her. She had pledged her undying love for me in the throes of passion and I willingly returned the sentiment. **

**Within minutes she began to stir beside me. I reached down and lifted her face to mine, kissing her lips gently. "Mmm, that feels wonderful and I want to stay here with you, but I need to use the bathroom." I reluctantly let her go and gazed at her sexy body as she walked into the adjoining bathroom. **

**After a few moments I heard the water running, and the sound of her brushing her teeth. "Edward, I'm going to hop into the shower and get ready for my shopping trip with 'Nes." **

**I crawled out of bed and walked into the bathroom as she was climbing into the shower. "What time is she picking you up?"**

"**Noon," she answered.**

"**So I was thinking I should probably go back to my parent's house and pick up some of my things while you're gone…" I spoke hesitantly, unsure if that was the right step to take next. **

**Bella laughed joyously "Sounds good. Boy, I wonder how your father's going to react." **

**I shrugged, "Doesn't matter. It's our relationship, not theirs. Speaking of reactions, when do you plan to call your father?"**

**She peeked around the shower curtain at me. "He was really speaking his mind to you last night, wasn't he?" I nodded at her. "I'm sorry about that."**

"**Bella, I don't care what our parents think. You're my wife and I couldn't be happier now. I know I screwed up for years, but I fully intend to do everything in my power to prove myself to you now. I'm sorry for so many things, and your dad was only trying to remind me what an ass I had been."**

"**Still, he had no right to say those things to you. Obviously he was on a tirade, and I do admit I probably vented to him more than I should have after we separated."**

"**He didn't say anything that wasn't true. I definitely know that what he said about wanting us to have more children was true. My parents would agree that we should have had at least one more." **

**Bella stepped out of the shower and lifted her towel from the hook beside where I was standing. "Yeah well that's water under the bridge." She ran her fingers along my face lovingly. Her tone was gracious I realized how lucky I was to have such a forgiving woman. **

**She leaned closer and gave me a soft kiss on the lips and suddenly I felt her body tense. **

**I opened my eyes, "What's wrong Bella?" **

**Her face appeared anxious and she shook her head confusedly. "I'm just realizing that we made love last night without any protection." **

**I chuckled at her, "We both have only ever had sex with each other, Bella. There's no need for …" My voice trailed off before I realized that maybe there was a chance that while we were separated, Bella had sex with another man. A tight knot formed in the pit of my stomach as I pondered the possibility before continuing. "Umm, if you did…**_**do that**_**…I wouldn't blame you…I mean, I still love you anyway." I stammered. **

**She shook her head and bit her lip nervously. "Of course I didn't have sex with anyone else, Edward." **

_**Oh thank God!**_

"**Well I definitely didn't have sex with anyone else. So what could possibly be wrong?"**

**She took a deep breath. "I stopped taking my birth control pills months ago. There was no need since we weren't together…" **

**Realization dawned on me. Since Renesmee's birth, we had always used birth control so we didn't have another unwanted pregnancy. Being teenagers and pregnant had definitely made us careful adults. "I don't think we have anything to worry about, do you?"**

**She shrugged skeptically, not meeting my gaze. "There's a distinct possibility that I'm ovulating right now." **

**I pulled her into my arms. "Well there is nothing we can do about it now. We'll have to wait and see. I am sure we're fine, though. I'll buy some condoms later today just to be sure we're protected while we wait…" I could feel her lean into me and realized she still wasn't relaxed. **

**Her face looked up at me and she opened and closed her mouth a couple of times. "**_**Bella, are you trying to tell me that you would like to be pregnant.**_** Do you…want to try to have a baby?" I wasn't sure I was convinced this was a good idea but if I was going to prove my devotion to her. **

**My mouth gaped open as I looked at her face as she nodded. **

"**Yes," she replied. **

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><p><strong>Closing AN: So here it is...We Start Rememberin' When was originally supposed to end with Bella and Edward's reuniting at the engagement party. But I thought you all deserved one more lemon. Hope you liked it. **

**The pregnancy idea came to me a while back and I decided to go with it. IF you would like to know more I will consider writing an epilogue...but this story hasn't gotten the kind of response my other story has so I wouldn't want to devote the time to any additional writing if there wasn't any need. **

**If you feel this story is wrapped up tight enough for you, then let me know. Likewise, if you feel you would like to know more, then let me know. If there is support enough to continue then I will write an epilogue to take the story "full circle". **

**I have two people to thank in regards to this story: **

**My friend and partner in crime, karencullenn2007. Karen, you had the original idea for this story, you picked the song that I listened to hundreds of times to get the inspiration I needed to start writing. I can't thank you enough for suggesting this in a time when I would have died from boredom had I not had something to keep my mind occupied. **

**The second person I need to thank is a relatively new reader, who also happens to be the love of my life. Without the connection of this story, and the spark of interest it brought about, I wonder whether we would have made the connection we have now. My life has changed because of you! Thank you for loving me! XOXOXOXOXO**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello Readers! I've missed you all so much.**

**I know it's been a long time since I published the last chapter of WSRW but I've had a year's worth of life changing things happen. To make a long story short (which I almost never do)...I suffered a very complicated illness which started almost a year ago. Had three surgeries, spent 40 days in two different hospitals but thankfully now I am finally on the road to recovery. I also become a grandmother in March and got a divorce in June of this year. **

**The rollercoaster that we call love has been both good and bad to me in the last year, leaving me confused and hurt much of the time, but I'm recovering in many ways! Writing has been a godsend to me and even though I didn't take the time until recently to work on my fic writing, I never forgot about my characters and the stories they had to tell through me. Here is the epilogue many of you have waited for. **

**Enjoy ;^)**

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><p><strong><span>Epilogue<span>**

Suburbs of Seattle, Washington

_Edward's POV_

I slid my glasses off my face, dropped them on the desk and rubbed my eyes tiredly. My hand absent-mindedly scratched over my stubbly jaw and then combed roughly through my untidy hair. I glanced at the clock on the wall: ten p.m. I had been in my office for more than five hours finishing up a park improvement project for work. I wondered why I hadn't seen or heard anything from Bella since dinner time. I shut down my computer and turned off the desk lamp, deciding I'd better check on her. On my way up the stairs I could hear soft music coming from the nursery. The tune was a familiar one…the same lullaby we had played for Renesmee over and over again when she was a baby. I reached the top of the stairs and turned the corner and saw the most beautiful sight; there was my gorgeous wife sitting in a large white rocker and humming softly to the infant in her arms.

As I entered the room, Bella lifted her head and smiled at me. "She's been asleep for more than an hour now. I just don't have the heart to put her down."

I returned my wife's smile and held my arms out, "Here let me have a go." Bella handed the baby to me and I adjusted the blanket so I could look down at the precious sleeping figure in my arms. I shook my head in disbelief as I fluffed the soft auburn curls on top of her head.

"She looks so much like you," Bella whispered before leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek.

"I think we had better put her in the crib," I suggested. Bella nodded, agreeing reluctantly before putting the side of the crib down for me. We each leaned over the crib and kissed her warm head before turning out the lamp and leaving the room.

We walked into our bedroom arm in arm and I turned the covers down on Bella's side of the bed for her while she took off her robe and slippers. She slid between the sheets, joining me in the middle of the bed. We entwined our arms around each other and our lips touched, beginning an intimate kiss.

_Bella's POV_

"Don't start something you're not going to finish Edward," I teased.

He chuckled quietly. "Oh I have every intention of finishing this, my love." He slid his hands over my back seductively and enveloped me once more in the comfort of his arms.

I slid deeper into the bed and returned his kiss passionately. Our tongues blended smoothly in each other's mouths and my head started to whirl inside as desire took over. In one deft movement I slid on top of my husband, pinning him to the bed. "Don't you dare move." I warned.

He grinned wickedly and slid his pajama bottoms off while I quickly pulled my nightgown off over my head. In a matter of seconds I resumed my position on top of him, both of us naked. Our hands ran over each other's skin as desire escalated through us. I moaned with every touch from him and he shivered in excitement as I teased him softly with my fingertips. After a few moments, I straddled his waist, readying myself to slide down on to his awaiting hardness.

He looked up at me with anticipation. "I love you Bella."

"As I love you," I told him just as I joined our bodies. I bent my head over to capture his lips with my own.

_Ring, Ring…Ring, Ring_

Edward looked up at me with a smirk. "Just sit right there while I answer this." He picked up the phone from his bedside table.

"_Oh my God, Edward!_ We can't stop now," I complained.

"Hello," I heard him say as he winked at me. I couldn't believe he was answering the phone in the middle of making love. I tried to slide away from him, but he held his hand on my hip, in effect stopping my movement. "It's for you." He handed me the phone, raising his eyebrows at me, still restricting me from climbing off him.

"Hello?" I answered through a clenched jaw, still teetering above Edward. I scowled down at him.

"Hi, Mom," I heard Renesmee's voice on the other end. "How's baby Sarah?"

"She is fine," I answered shortly, anxious to resume my escapade with Edward.

"_Mom_!" Renesmee scolded. "This is the first time we've left her. You know how worried we've been."

Edward finally gave in let me slide from his body, smiling at me wickedly. He tapped his wrist with his forefinger, indicating I should hurry up. "I know this is the first time you've left her, 'Nes. But she is six months old and it's not my first time caring for a baby. She fell asleep more than an hour ago and she's been sleeping great every night since you've been gone." I explained before my daughter cut me off.

"Okay, Mom. Now if you could please explain that all to Jacob. He's been so worried." She sighed and handed the phone to her husband. I took a moment to explain to my son-in-law that his daughter was doing just fine and I assured them both that she would indeed completely safe, and in one piece when they returned from their mini vacation.

I was able to end the conversation in less than five minutes which Edward informed me was a record. "At least they didn't ask you to recount every single second of her day this time," Edward chuckled.

"Well he was about to…" My answer trailed off as Edward pressed his lips to mine.

"Mmmm," I sighed. "Where were we, again?"

Edward lifted me above him. "Well, you were right here," he explained.

I lay in Edward's arms as I always did after lovemaking. Both of us drowsy and consumed with love for each other. The passion we still shared was unbelievable.

"Are you ever sorry we didn't have another baby ourselves, Bella?" Edward asked me, pressing his lips to my forehead.

"Not really," I answered. "It's our time to be grandparents now. We're going to have years to spend with Sarah and 'Nes and Jacob's other children, if they have more. I'm really enjoying this. Aren't you?"

Edward nodded at me and then smiled. "I wouldn't have minded having another baby with you, Bella. But yes, I agree. Being a granddad is one of the best feelings in the world."

As if she heard her grandfather's words, Sarah's small cry echoed over the baby monitor. "It's your turn to get her, Grandpa. I put her to sleep in the first place."

"My turn? I thought we were in this together." He questioned.

"We are," I informed him. "Why don't you go pick her up and I'll go downstairs and make her a bottle."

He nodded to me as we both slipped our robes on and I made my way downstairs to fix the bottle. While I stood there waiting for the water to warm up I thought back on our past... Every aspect of our life had been an adventure. From our very first meeting that day on the football field, to our fear at becoming teen parents. Our life together had grown from our love for each other, love for our families and for our daughter and now we shared the joy of another generation. The great happiness of watching our family grow in this way was such a blessing and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

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><p><strong>So that's it folks. This story of Edward and Bella comes to an end. I hope you've enjoyed it and have come to love these characters as much as I have. As always, I appreciate reviews, and feedback. So if you have time to leave a review, or drop me a message in my inbox that would be awesome. I put a lot of thought into the ending and although I have to admit that i did toy with the idea of giving E&amp;B another baby, I felt connected to this ending more than the alternative.<strong>

**I ask all of you to _please _read my other story, Who Says You Can't Go Home. I am writing more chapters to this story and will be updating very soon. **

**Take care all of you. Enjoy your summer and keep reading! **

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

**~D**


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